
Gass 1 f^l ^ ' ^' 






OUR NAVY 

DUKC^a THE GEEAT EEBELLIOlSr, 



1861-1865. 



FAEEAGUT 



AND 



OUR NAVAL COMMANDERS. 



i 





m DAVM; G-, fABJ-i.AGlJ 



FARRAGUT 

AND oun 

NAVAL COMMANDERS, 



HON. J. T. HEADLEY, 

jgton and his generals," " napoleon . 
"sacred mountains," &C., &C., &C. 

A COMPANION VOLUME TO HEADLEY'S " GRANT AND SIIEMAN." 



AUTHOR OF " WASHINGTON AND HIS GENERALS," " NAPOLEON AND HIS MARSHALS,' 
"sacred MOUNTAINS," &C., &C., &C. 



COMPRISING 

THE EARLY LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF THE PROMINENI 
NA VAL COMMANDERS WHO, WITH GRANT AND SHER- 
MAN AND THEIR GENERALS, BROUGHT TO 
A TRIUMPHANT CLOSE 

THE GREAT REBELLION 

OF 

1861-1865. 

WITH NUMEROUS 



SOLD ONLY BY SUBSCRIPTION. 

NEW YORK: 
E. B. TREAT & CO., PUBLISHERS. 

CHICAGO, ILL.: C. W. LILLET. CINCINNATI, 0.: G. B. FESSENDEN 

ST LOUIS, MO.: L S. BRAINARD. DETROIT, MICH.: B. C. BAKER. 

CLEVELAND, 0. ? A. 0. BRIGGS. BOSTON, MASS. : M. PITMAN & CO. 

SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. : E. E. SHEAR. 

1867. 



^-6W\ S 



■ i^m 



c^^ 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, 

BY J. T. HEADLEY, 

Jn the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the 

Southern District of New York. 



Geological Smrey 

DEC a 19££ 



JOHN F. TROW & CO , 

f SISTERS, STEREOTYPERS, 4- ELECTROTYPERS, 

60 GREENE STREET, N. Y. 



PREFACE 



The object of the following work is twofold : first, to 
bring out into distinct relief tlie important actions of our 
navy during the recent war ; and, second, to give a per- 
sonal history of the brave officers who covered themselves 
and the nation with honor. 

Our navy has always been the pride and boast of the 
people, for its record is without a blot. Disgrace and 
defeat have often been visited on our arras on the land, 
but the former never, and the latter rarely on the sea. 
We have never lost a vessel in a fair combat, so that no 
commander, however unfortunate in the loss of his vessel, 
has ever lost his reputation with it — nay, rather, he has 
added to his renown by the gallant and determined man 
ner in w^hich he fouQ-ht it. 

Isolated, and so far from the great powers of the 
world, we could protect ourselves at home ; but without 
a navy with a brilliant record, we could not command 
respect abroad. Our honor on the deep and in foreign 
ports had therefore to be entrusted to our naval com- 
manders, and nobly did they fulfil their trust. We have 
never been, till now, scarce a third-rate power in our 
marithne strength, yet the navy, by its deeds of renown, 



Vlll PREFACE. 

lias made us to be regarded as a first-rate one tlirougli- 
out tlie world. Our national flag seemed almost lost 
amid tlie swarming fleets of England and France ; still, 
wherever it floated, it asserted its supremacy and claimed 
and received tliat respect wliicli liitlierto liad been 
awarded only to numbers. This Ligli character, won by 
no other navy of our size in the civilized world, has not 
only been sustained, but elevated by our commanders in 
the recent struggle for self-preservation. They therefore 
deserve a separate place in history. Besides, our naval 
commanders seem not so much a part of the ]3eople as 
the volunteer generals, who step from their office and 
ordinary emplojonents to the head of our armies. From 
boyhood their home is on the ocean, and they are lost to 
view except by their immediate friends ; and we know 
them only by theii' deeds of renown. A volunteer navy 
is impossible, except in its crews. Tlie sailing and ma- 
noeuvring and fighting of a ship can he done only by 
those who have had years of practical training — only 
the results of which we see. We have thought, there- 
fore, that the early history, experience, and struggles of 
those men who have covered our flag with glory, would 
be interesting to the American people. Besides, the 
new instruments of warfare — the heavy ordnance and 
monster shells and unparalleled range which have been 
leached — ^the iron-clad vessels and destructive rams and 
novel modes of attach and defence which have charac- 
terized this naval contest, have made it unique and 
worthy of a separate and distinct notice. 



PREFACE. IX 

It is not to be iuferred, tliat, because some admirals 
and commodores are omitted in the following sketches, 
and others of lower rank inserted, the distinction is 
meant as a test of their respective merits. Those have 
been selected who performed marked service or fought 
separate engagements. Officers in command of navy- 
yards, or on peaceful stations, may have rendered equal 
service to the nation, but the character of it was such as to 
furnish no material for a biographical sketch ; yet their 
rank indicates the high appreciation of their worth and 
services by the Government. 

We have only to add that, in almost every case, the 
facts and personal details in the biographical sketches 
have been furnished either by the commanders them- 
selves, or their friends, wdth their approval. Hence they 
can be relied on. 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATION'S. 



Admiral D. G. Farragut, .... 
Eeae -Admiral S. H, Dahlgren, 

" l. m. goldsborough, . 

" S. n. Steingham, 

" C. H. Davis, .... 

Commodore "W. D. Porter, 

Captain 0. S. Boggs, 

Lieutenant W. B. Gushing, .... 
Farragut's Naval Engagement, (Mobile Bay) 
Rear- Admiral S. F. Dupont, . 

" A. H. FooTE, 

Sinking of the Pirate Alabama off the Coast of 
Vice-Admiral D. D. Porter, 
The Red River Expedition Passing the Rapids 
Bombardment and Capture of Fort Fisher, 
Rear-Admiral Hiram Paulding, 
Commodore J. A. Winslow, .... 

" Charles Wilkes, . 

" J. L. Worden, .... 

" T. Bailey, .... 

Captain P. Drayton, 

Colonel Charles Ellet, 



PAGE 

{Frontispiece.') 
33 



France, 



93 
122 
150 
303 
321 
368 
381 
475 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I. 



PAGB 

Modem Science in Naval Warfare — Earliest Naval Engagement on Record — Bat- 
tle of Salamis — Roman Mode of Fighting — Ancient Engines and Implements 
of Destruction — Cannon First Used in Naval Combats — The Terrible Battle 
of Lepanto — Rapidity with which Ancient Naval Expeditions were Fitted 
Out — Improvement in Ship-Building — The Paixhan Gun — Explosion of 
Shells by Concussion — Our Second War with England — Astoundmg Results 
of the Various Combats — Chief Cause of our Victories — Sights on Cannon — 
Inferiority of our Navy at the Commencement of the Rebellion — Improve- 
ments in Guns — Dahlgren Gun — Description of the Parrott Gun — Construc- 
tion of Iron-Clads — The Monitor, Galena, and Ironsides — Foundation of the 
Iron-Clad Navy — Strength of the Navy at the Commencement of the War — 
Its Division — Extent of Coast to be Blockaded — Number of Vessels Built 
and Purchased — Europe on the Blockade — England — Southern Efforts to 
Break the Blockade — Blockade Runners — Number Captured the First Year 
— ^Total Number During the War — Increase of our Naval Force During the 
War — Amount Expended by our Navy Department 33 



14 CONTENTS. 



CH AFTER II. 

ADMIRAL DAVID GLASCOE FARRAGUT. 



PAGE 



His Parentage— His Father Serves in the Revolutionary Army — ^Nativity of David 
— Appointed Midshipman when Nine Years of Age — Serves under Captain 
Porter — His First Cruise — Description of the Fight in Valparaiso Harbor — 
David's Heroic Conduct — Is "Wounded— Sent Home on Parole — Put to 
School— Sent to the Mediterranean — Studies under the Chaplain — His Pro- 
motion—Stationed at Norfolk — His Marriage — Commands the Navy-Yard at 
San Francisco — Second Marriage — Remains Loyal at the Breaking Out of 
the Rebellion — Compelled to Leave Norfolk — Commands the Expedition 
Against New Orleans — Passage of the Forts — Capture of the City — His 
Career on the Mississippi — Daring Passage of the Rebel Batteries — Anec- 
dote — Expedition Against Mobile — Passes the Forts Lashed to the Main- 
mast — His After-Services and Promotion 4f 



CHAPTER III. 



REAR-ADMIRAL CHARLES WILKES. 



His Nativity — A Midshipman — His First Cruise — His Early Services — Appointed 
to the Depot of Charts and Instruments — His Eflbrta to Create a National 
Observatory Declared Unconstitutional — Sent to Survey St. George's Bank — 
Appointed to Command the Antarctic Expedition — Account of his Explora- 
tions — Takes Vengeance on the Cannibals for the Murder of his Nephew — 
His After-Voyage Round the World — Court-Martialled — Names of the Va- 
rious Works that he Published — At the Beginning of the War Placed in 
Command of the Frigate San Jacinto, and Sent to the West Indies to Cap- 
ture the Privateer Sumter — Seizes the British Mail-Steamer Trent, and 
Carries off Mason and Slidell — Excitement in Both Hemispheres over the 
Seizure — the Act Finally condemned by the President — Made Commodore, 



CONTENTS. li 



PAGE 



and placed First on the List — Assigned to the Command of the Potomac 
Flotilla — Made Acting Rear-Admiral, and Sent to Protect our Commerce in 
the "West Indies — Suspended — Placed on the Retired List 103 



CHAPTER IV. 

REAR-ADMIRAL SILAS H. STRINGHAM. 

His Nativity — Enters the Navy — Sails under Rodgers — Affair of the President 
and Little Belt — War Declared — Chase of the Belvidere — Serves under De- 
catur on the Coast of Algiers — Rescues the Crew of a French Brig at Gib- 
raltar — A Gallant Feat — Captures Slavers on the African Coast and Sent 
Home with his Prizes — Made Lieutenant, and Sent to the West India Sta- 
tion — Captures a Notorious Slaver — Transferred to the Brooklyn Navy- 
Yard — Commands the Ohio in the Bombardment of Vera Cruz — Commands 
the Brazilian Squadron— Sent to the Mediterranean — Placed over Gosport 
Navy Yard — At Commencement of the Rebellion made Flag-OfBcer of 
the Atlantic Blockading Squadron — Commands the Expedition sent to Cap- 
ture Hatteras— The Bombardment — Joy over his Victory — Blamed for not 
Prosecuting it, and is Relieved of his Command — Placed on the Retired 
List; 112 



CHAPTER V. 

REAR-ADMIRAL SAMUEL FRANCIS DUPONT. 

His Nativity — Made Midshipman at Twelve Years of Age — First Cruise under 
Commodore Stewart — Commander in 1845 — Commands the Congress during 



16 CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

the Mexican War — Rescues a Party Beleaguered in the Mission of San Jose 
— Made Captain and Placed in Command of the Steam Frigate Minnesota, 
and Conveys our Minister to China — Cruise in the Chinese Waters — At the 
Breaking Out of the RebeUion placed over the Philadelphia Navy Yard — 
Proposes the Capture of Port Royal — Placed in Command of the Expedition 
— Excitement of the Country on its Departure — Mystery Respecting its Des- 
tination — A Terrific Storm — Forebodings of the People and Exultation of 
the South — The Fleet Scattered — Shipwreck and Death — Sinking of the 
Governor — Frightful Scenes — Arrival at Port Royal — The Attack — A 
Thrilling Spectacle — Surrender of the Forts — Enthusiasm over the Victory 
— Dupont's Conquests along the Coast of South Carolina, Georgia, and 
Florida — His Stringent Blockade — Raid of the Rebel Rams of Charleston on 
his Fleet — The Mercedita and Keystone State — Commands the Iron-Clad 
Fleet in the Great Attack on Charleston — Description of the Combat — Dis- 
appointment over the Failure — Dupont Blamed for not Renewing the 
Attack — His Defence — Court-Martials the Chief Engineer — Relieved of his 
Command — Admiral Foote put in his Place — His Sudden Death — Admiral 
Dahlgren Succeeds him — Retirement of Dupont — His Death — His Char- 
acter. ......... 123 



CHAPTER VI. * 

REAR-ADMIRAL ANDREW HULL FOOTE. 

1 Nativity, Ancestry, and Early Education — Enters the Navy — First Cruise — 
Second Cruise, under Commodore Hull — Third Cruise to the West Indies — 
A Great Change in his Character — Dedicates his Life to God — Yoyage 
Round the World — Becomes the Champion of the Persecuted Missionaries 
of the Sandwich Islands — Appointed over the Naval Asylum of Philadelphia 
— Gets the Inmates to give up their Grog — Cruise in the Mediterranean — 
Preaches to the Sailors — Laid up with Sore Eyes — Commands the Sloop of 
War Portsmouth, on the East India Station — Bombards Chinese Forts — 
Commands the Brooklyn Navy Yard on the Breaking Out of the Rebellion — 



CONTENTS. 17 

PAGH 

Sent West to Organize a Flotilla on the Mississippi — Captures Fort Henry — 
Attack on Fort Donaldson — Is Wounded — Subsequent Operations on the 
Tennessee' and Cumberland Rivers — Phelp's Report — Advance Against 
Columbus — Operations Around Island No. 10 — Passage of the Batteries by 
the Carondelet — Moves against Memphis — Is Relieved to Recruit his Health 
— Domestic Afflictions — Our Bureau of Equipment and Navigation at Wash- 
ington — Made Rear-Admiral — Placed over the South Atlantic Blockading 
Squadron — His Death and Character. . . . . .15] 



CHAPTER VII. 

COMMODORE CHARLES STUART BOGGS. 

Early Impressions — His Nativity and Early Education — Anecdote — Enters the 
Naval Service — His First Cruise — Greek Pirates — Cruise to the West Indies 
— A Lieutenant — Service in the Pacific Ocean — Has Charge of the Apprentices 
in New York Harbor — Ordered to the African Coast — Serveg on Board the 
Princeton during the Mexican War — A Daring Act — Cruise in the Mediter- 
ranean — The Greeks Astonished at a Propeller — Sent to the World's Fair — 
Inspector of Clothing and Provisions in New York Harbor — Commands a 
California Steamer — Inspector of Lights on the Coast of California — His 
Position and Feelings on the Breaking Out of the Rebellion — Offers a Re- 
ward to the most Gallant Soldier of his Country — Ordered Home — Given 
the Command of the Vaiuna — Joins Farragut's Squadron — Passage of the 
Forts Below New Orleans — His Gallant Conduct — The Boy Oscar — Is Pre- 
sented with a Sword for his Gallantry — On Blockading Duty off Wilmington 
Harbor — His Health Fails — Appointed on Admiral Gregory's Staff at New 
York — Plans and Builds Torpedo-Boats — His Services since the War — His 
Character. ....... .182 



18 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

REAR-ADMIRAL LOUIS MALESHERBES GOLDSBOROUGH. 

rAQE 

U\s Nativity — A Midshipman at Seven Years of Age — His First Cruise — Early 
Services — A Lieutenant at Tvrenty — Prosecutes his Studies at Paris — Battle 
with Pirates in the Archipelago — Placed in Charge of the Depot of Charts 
and Instruments at Washington — Establishes a German Colony in Florida — 
Takes Part in the Seminole War — Takes Part in the Bombardment of Vera 
Cruz — Explores the Coast of California a;nd Oregon — Commands the Brazil- 
ian Squadron — Made Captain — At Commencement of the Rebellion, made 
Flag-Officer of the North-Atlantic Blockading Squadron — Commands the 
Expedition Sent to the Sounds of North Carolina — Storm at Cape Hatteras 
— Its Destructive Effects — Sails for Roanoke Island — Bombardment of the 
Works — His Services in the Chesapeake Bay and James River — Resigns his 
Command — Shore Duty — Present Command. . . . .196 



CHAPTER IX. 

COLONEL CHARLES ELLET. 

American Ingenuity — Ellet's Nativity — Early Education — Becomes Surveyor — 
Finishes his Education in Paris — Becomes Engineer-in-Chief on the James 
River and Jianawha Canal — Publishes a Work on the Laws of Trade — Pro- 
poses to Build a Wire Bridge Across the Mississippi — Builds the First Sus- 
pension Bridge in America — Plans Others — Visits Europe — Plans Improve- 
ments of Navigation in the Ohio River — Sent by the War Department to 
Survey the Lower Mississippi — Publishes a Work on the Ohio and Missis- 
fflppi Rivers — Plans there the Ram — Submits bis Invention to the Russian 
Emperor — Also to our Navy Department — Publishes a Pamphlet on his 



CONTENTS. ' 19 

i'AGE 

Projects — Urges his Invention on Government at the Breaking out of the' 
Rebellion — Attacks McClellan — Sent West to Build Rams — His Difficulties — 
His First Experiment at Memphis — Is Wounded — His Sickness and Death — 
Charles Rivers Ellet — His Birth and Early Education — Joins the Ram Fleet 
— Succeeds his Father — His Bravery — Complimented by Porter — Attacks 
the City of Vicksburg — Destroys Rebel Transports — Gets Aground, and 
Loses his Vessel — Commands the Switzerland — Runs the Vicksburg Bat- 
teries — After-Services — His Sickness and Early Death. . . . 209 



CHAPTER X. 

REAR-ADMIRAL THEODORUS BAILEY. 

Nativity — Early Impressions — Appointed Midshipman — Sent to the Coast of 
Africa — Cruise in the Pacific Ocean— Placed on the West India Station — 
Made Lieutenant — Voyage Round the World — Second Voyage Round the 
World — Stationed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard — Assumes an Independent 
Command — Sails in the Lexington for the Coast of Mexico — Sherman, Hal- 
leck, and Ord, then Lieutenants, accompany him — Their Appearance — An 
Incident off Cape Horn in a Gale — Arrival in Cahfornia — Meets Commodore 
Stockton and Fremont — His Services on the Coast during the Mexican War 
— A Practical Joke — Correspondence with a British Captam, on Blockade 
Rights — Cruise in the Pacific — Compels Island Chiefs to do Justice — At 
Panama afler the Massacre of Americans — Commands the Colorado in Com- 
mencement of the War — Blockades Pensacola — Placed Second in Command 
in the Expedition against New Orleans — Unable to get his Ship over the Bar 
— Determines to lead in Something — Anecdote of him — Leads in the Cayuga 
— The Combat — Demands the Surrender of New Orleans — Interviews with 
the Mayor, Lovell and Soule — Sent Home with Despatches — Placed in Com- 
mand of the Eastern Gulf Blockading Squadron— Exhibits great Energy and 
Efficiency — Complimented by the Department — His HospitaUty — Astonishes 
a Secesh Vestry — Smitten down by the Yellow Fever — Attempt to bribe 
him — Returns North. 224 



20 CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XI. 

EEAR-ADMIRAL CHAELES HENRY DAVIS. 

PADS, 

Scientific Attainments in the Naval Profession — Birth and Parentage of Davis — 
His Early Education — Enters the Navy — Three Years' Cruise in the Pacific 
Ocean — ^Visits its remote Islands — On his Return receives his Warrant and 
Cruises in the West Indies — In the Mediterranean — Made Lieutenant — Enters 
on the Study of the Modern Languages — Fourth Cruise in the Pacific — Sails 
for St. Petersburg— Appointed to the Coast Survey — His Surveys, Investi- 
gations, etc. — His Reports and Memoirs — His Marriage — Supermtends the 
Preparation of the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac — His Trans- 
lations and Publications — Once More Afloat — Receives the Capitulation of 
the FiUbuster Walker — Shore Duty — Breaking out of the Rebellion — Davis' 
Services at Washington — Placed on a Commission to investigate the Subject 
of Armored Ships — Dupont's Chief of Staff in the Port Royal Expedition — 
His great Services — Commands the Stone Fleet sunk in Charleston Harbor — 
Sent up the little Tybee — Engages Tatnall's Fleet — Relieves Foote in Com- 
mand of the Mississippi Flotilla — Combat of Fort Pillow — Destroys the Rebel 
Fleet off Memphis — Battery of St. Charles captured — Davis' Despatch — 
Before Vicksburg — After Services — Recalled to Washington — Receives the 
Thanks of Congress, and made Rear-Admiral — Chief of Bureau of Naviga- 
tion — Superintendent of National Observatory, etc 252 



CHAPTER XII. 

COMMANDER HOMER C. BLAKE. 

A Great Example worth more than au Ordinary Victory — Blake's Nativity and 
Early Education — Enters the Navy — His First Cruise Round the World — 
Keeps Communication open between our Vessels in the Chinese Sea — Serves 



CONTENTS. 21 

PAGE 

on the Coast of Africa — Enters the Naval School — Passed Midshipman — 
Serves in the War with Mexico — Cruise to the East Indies — Sent Home to 
Recruit his Health — Joins the Paraguay Expedition — Anecdote — Second 
Cruise to the African Coast — Breaking out of the Rebellion — Blake joins the 
Port Royal Expedition — Commands the R. R. Cuyler — Transferred to the 
Hatteras — A Description of her — On Blockade Duty off Galveston — Sent in 
Pursuit of a strange Steamer — His Fight with the Alabama — Correspondence 
with an English Captain in Kingston — Is Exchanged — His Crew ask the 
Government to give him another Vessel to Cruise after the Alabama — Com- 
mands the Eutaw in the James River— His Great Services here — Now over 
the Bureau of Navigation in Portsmouth, N. H. 271 



CHAPTER XIII. 



COMMODORE JOHN A. WINSLOW. 

His Birth — Ancestry — Enters the Naval Service — Sent to the West Indies — 
Cruises in the Pacific Ocean — Subsequent Services — Promotion — Serves in 
the War with Mexico — Fight in Tobasco — Given a Choice of Vessels for his 
Gallantry — Semmes becomes his Roommate — Strange Contrasts — In Hayti 
and Yucatan — A Cruise in the Pacific — Breaking out of the RebeUion — 
Winslow sent West to co-operate with Foote — Equips his Flotilla — Is 
Wounded in trying to get the " Benton " afloat after Grounding — Sent up 
the White River — Deters Officers from demanding of the Government his 
Appointment to the Command of the Mississippi Flotilla — Ordered East to 
take Command of the Kearsarge — His Cruise in Search of the Alabama — 
Bold Navigation — Blockades the Florida — His Vessel run Ashore by Rebel 
Pilots — Finds the Alabama at Cherbourg — Is Challenged by Semmes — Before 
the Combat — The Combat — A Brave Seaman— The Victory— Yacht Grey- 
hound — English Perfidy — Semmes' Falsehoods refuted — The English Press 
— The two Vessels compared — Letter of the Secretary of the Navy — Unjust 
Censure — Feeling of the People — Wiuslow's Vindication— His Character. . 288 



22 CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XIV 



VICE-ADMIRAL DAVID D. PORTER. 

FAGS 

His Birth and Early Education — Accompanies his Father to the West Indies in 
Search of Pirates — Enters the Mexican Navy as Midshipman — His first Fight 
on the Cuban Coast — Is taken Prisoner and placed in Confinement — Parolled 
and Returns to Mexico — Returns home — Enters the Naval School — Midship- 
man in the U. S. Navy — His Subsequent Services and Cruises — Sent by 
Buchanan to Hayti to investigate the Condition of the Dominican Republic — 
Made First Lieutenant on the Spitfire in the Mexican War — At Vera Cruz — 
His Gallant Attack of Tobasco — At Tuspan — Commands the Pacific Mail 
Steamship Panama, and sails through the Straits of Magellan — Commands 
the George Law Steamer Georgia, for three years — Commands the Steamer 
Golden Age — Remarkable Voyage to Australia — Sent by the Secretary of 
War to Import Camels — Breaking out of the Rebellion — Sent to relieve Fort 
Pickens — A Curious Piece of History — Blockades the Mississippi — Long 
Chase after the Privateer Sumter — Commands the Mortar Fleet under Farra- 
gut in the Attack on New Orleans — The Bombardment — Goes to Pensacola 
and Mobile — Aids Farragut in Passing the Batteries of Vicksburg and 
Port Hudson — Put in Command of the Mississippi Fleet — Co-operates with 
Farragut, Sherman, and Grant — Arkansas Port — White River — Battle of 
Grand Gulf — Aids Grant in the Siege of Vicksburg — ^Expedition to the Sun- 
flower Country — Fall of Vicksburg — Receives the Thanks of Congress — 
Made Admiral — Subsequent Operations on the Mississippi River — The Red 
Elver Expedition — A New Chapter in its History — Passage of the Falls near 
Alexandria by the Fleet — Bailey, Engineer of the Dams, rewarded by Porter 
— Renders Sherman valuable Aid in his March to Chattanooga — Various 
Operations in his extensive District of Command — Returns North to Visit his 
Family — ^Placed over the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron — The First 
Expedition against Fort Fisher — The Bombardment — Second Expedition — 
The Attack — The Victory — Aids Grant in his last Movement against Lee — 
His Character — Present Command 320 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XV. 



COMMANDER WILLIAM B. GUSHING. 

TAOa 

iliti N.itivitj — Enters the Naval Academy — His Resignation — Enters tlie Naval 
Service — Expedition against Franlilin, in Virginia — A Second Expedition — 
Loses his Vessel — Attempt to Capture Wilmington Pilots — Takes a Fort by 
Assault — Commands a Gunboat in the Nansemond — A Severe Battle — 
Charges Rebel Cavalry — Anecdotes of hun — Destroys a Blockade Runner- 
Plans the Destruction of the Albemarle by a Torpedo — His Boldness and 
Success — Miraculous Escape — Complimentary Letter of the Secretary of the 
Navy — Sent to Destroy the Raleigh— Takes part in the Boml^ardmcnt of 
Fort Fisher— His present Position. . 383 



CHAPTER XV I. 

REAR-ADMIRAL STEPHEN C. ROWAN. 

His Nativity. — Appointed Midshipman.— Cruise Round the World— On Duty in 
New York— Passed Midshipman— Serves in the West Indies— His Services 
in the Florida War— Joins the South Sea Exploring Expedition— Promoted 
to Lieutenant — On the Coast Survey — Cruises on Coast of Brazil and in the 
Mediterranean — Serves under Dupont on the Coast of Cahfornia— Mexico — 
At Monterey— At Mazatlan— Land March and Fight with Mexicans— Is 
Wounded — Other Services during the War— Inspector of Ordnance in New 
York Navy Yard — Commands Receiving Ship North Carolina — At Breaking 
out of the Rebellion put in Command of the Pawnee — Covers Washington, 
etc. — Sent to Relieve Sumter— In the Potomac — Fires the First Naval Gun in 
the War— Matthias Point— Gallant Conduct— Fort Hatteras— Commands a 
Division in Bumside's Expedition — Destroys the Rebel Fleet — A Daring 
Act — After Services— Commands the Fleet— Cooperates with Bumside in 



24 CONTENTS. 

rAOB 

the Attack on Newbern — Ordered to fit out the Roanoke — Commands the 
Ironsides under Dahlgren at Charleston — His Services — A Gallant Fight — 
Promoted to Commodore — The Ironsides damaged by a Torpedo — Rowan 
Returns with her to Philadelphia for Repairs — Promoted to Rear- Admiral — 
Now Commands the Norfolk Nary Yard 401 



CHAPTER XVII. 

COMMODORE S. P. LEE. 

lis Birth — Commands the Oneida in the Passage of the Forts below New Or- 
leans — Demands the Surrender of Vicksburg — Placed over the North Atlantic 
Blockading Squadron — His Services here — Fight between the Ram Albe- 
marle and our Vessels in the Albemarle Sound — Placed over the Mississippi 
Fleet — Co-operates with the Army in the Campaign against Hood — Compli- 
mentary Letter from General Thompson - 416 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

COMMODORE THORNTON A. JENKINS. 

His Nativity — Enters the Service — First Cruise — On the Coast Survey — Light- 
house Duty — Serves in the Mexican War — Commands Hydrographic Party 
in Coast Survey — Brings Home Prisoners from Mexico — Employed in Secret 
Service in Virginia — His Services in the James River — In the West Gulf 



CONTENTS. 25 



PAGE. 



Blockading Squadron — Made Fleet Captain to Famigut — His Services— Is 
Wounded — In the Action below Mobile — Farragut's Opinion of him — Chief 
of Bureau of Navigation 423 



CHAPTER XIX. 

REAR-ADMIRAL HENRY KXOX TEATCIIER. 

Rank a Test of Merit as well as Victories — Thatcher's Birth and Early Education 
— Enters the Navy — First Cruises — Cruise to Suppress the Slave-Trade — 
Promotion — Breaking out of the Rebellion — Commands in the Gulf Block- 
ading Squadron — His Gallantry in the Bombardment of Fort Fisher — Por- 
ter's Eulogy of him — Commands the Squadron in Mobile Bay — Sinking of 
Vessels by Torpedoes — Capture of Mobile — His After Services on the Mis- 
sissippi and at Galveston — Destruction of the Rebel Vessel "Webb — Com- 
mands the Gulf Squadron. . . . 426 



CHAPTER XX. 

COMMODORE V>'ILLIAM D. PORTER. 

His Nativity — Breaking out of the Rebellion — His Letter to the Government — 
Sent to the Western Department — Turns a Ferry-boat into a Gunboat — 
Names her the Essex — On Watch above Columbus — Challenges the Enemy 
— Attack on Fort Henry — Is Wounded — Overhauls the Essex — Designs two 



26 CONTENTS. 



PAGE 



Other Gunboats— Joins Davis before Vicksburg- -The Ram Arkansas— Por- 
ter's Bold Attack on her— Desperate Undertaking— Aids General Williams at 
Eaton Rouge— Destroys the Ram Arkansas — At Bayou Sara — Asks for Aid 
to prevent the Erection of Works at Port Hudson — Bums Bayou Sara — 
Bombards Natchez— Runs the Batteries at Port Hudson— Made Commodore 
— His Sickness — Obtains Leave of Absence — Ilis Death. . . . -434 



CHAPTER XXI. 

REAR-ADMIRAL JOHX A. DAHLGREN. 

His Birth and Ancestry— Enters the Navy— First Cruise— -On the Coast Survey, 
Under Kasslcr — Distinguished as a Mathematician — Ilassler's Estimation of 
his Ability — Made Saihng-Master in the Southern Explorbg Expedition- 
Declines the Appointment— Loses the Use of his Eyes — Goes to Paris — 
Paixhan Guns— Goes on a Farm — Cruise in the Mediterranean— Assigned to 
Ordnance Duty — Placed over the Rocket Department — His Labors— Tests 
the Range of the 32-Pounders of the Navy — Originates the Boat Howitzer- 
Resolves to Revolutionize Naval Armament — History of his DifSculties and 
Final Success— Shell Guns— Publishes his Work on Boat Armament — Other 
Works — " Shells and Shell Guns" — Sails in the Plymouth to test his own 
Guns — Settles DifSculties in Mexico — Designs a Foundery — Rifled Guns — 
Placed over the Navy Yard at ■Washington — Prepares for an Attack — 
Account of his Services here — Interview with President Lincoln — Chief of 
the Bureau of Ordnance — His Son Ulric — Placed over the South Atlantic 
Blockading Squadron — His Services before Charleston, and his Difficulties 
with Gilmore — Close of the War — Impressive Funeral Ceremonies of his Son 
— Ilis Character. . . - 456 



CONTENTS. 27 



CHAPTER XXII. 



EEAR-ADMIRAL HIRAM PAULDING. 

PAGE. 

A Navy -Yard in Time of War — Paulding's Birth and Parentage — Enters the Navy 
— Sword Voted him by Congress for his Gallantry in the Battle of Lake 
Champlain — Cruise after Mutineers in the Islands of the Pacific — Publishes 
a Journal of it — Promotion — Breaks up Walker's Filibustering Expedition 
to Nicaragua — His Action not Wholly Approved by Government — The 
President of Nicaragua Presents him with a Swoi'd — Not Allowed to Accept 
a Tract of Land — At the Breaking out of the Rebellion Sent to Destroy the 
Navy-Yard at Norfolk — Description of the Scene — Appointed Commandant 
of the Navy-Yard at New York — Contracts for the First Armored 
Vessels. ......... 495 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

REAR-ADMIRAL JAMES S. PALMER. 

His Nativity — Enters the Navy — Length of Sea-Service — At the Beginning of the 
War Sent in the Iroquois in Search of the Privateer Sumter — Blockades her 
in the Harbor of St. Pierre — Her Escape — Condemnation of Palmer — His 
Vindication — Joins Farragut above New Orleans — Demands the Surrender 
of Baton Rouge — Of Natchez — Leads the Line in Passing Vicksburg — Com- 
mands the Flag Ship in the Passage of Port Hudson — Commands the West 
Gulf Blockading Squadron — With Admiral Thatcher in the Capture of Mo- 
bile — Highly Complimentary Letter of the Latter. 



28 COI^TENTS. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



CAPTAIN JOHN LORIMER WORDEN. 

PAGH 

Hia Nativity — Early Services — Serves in the War with Mexico — First Lieutenant 
in the Brooklyn Navy Yard — Before Hostilities Commenced in 1861, was 
Sent to Peusacola with Secret Despatches — His Success and after Imprison- 
ment — Exchanged — Loses his Health — Put in Command of the New 
Monitor — Fight with the Merrimac in Hampton Roads — Is Wounded — Com- 
mands the Montauk — Attacks Fort M'Alister — Destroys the Privateer Nash- 
ville — Takes Part in the Attack of the Iron-Clads on Fort Sumter — His 
Present Command. .... .512 



CHAPTER XXV 



REAR-ADMIRAL HENRY H. BELL. 



His Nativity — Avenges an Insult Offered to the National Flag in China — At the 
Secession of the South Disowns his Native State — Services in New York — 
Appointed Farragut's Fleet Captain — A Bold Reconnoissance — Cuts the 
Barrier Across the Mississippi — Leads One Division of the Fleet in the Pas- 
sage of the Forts — Hoists the National Colors over the Custom House in 
New Orleans — Coolness in Passing the Vicksburg Batteries — Succeeds Farra- 
gut in Command of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron — Ordered North — 
Service in New York — His Health Breaks Down — His Present Position. . 52S 



CONTEK-TS. 29 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



COMMODORE MELANCTHON SMITH. 



Birth and Ancestry — Enters the Navy — His Early Services — Commands in 
Florida — Sent to the Gulf Blockading Squadron in 1861 — Drives the Enemy 
from Ship Island — Commands the Steamer Mississippi in the Passage of the 
Forts Below New Orleans — Captures the Earn Manassas — Loses his Vessel 
in Passing Port Hudson — His Gallant Conduct — Takes Part in the Siege of 
the Place — On Court-Martial Duty — Ordered North — On Picket Duty in the 
James River— Commands in the North Carolina Sounds — Battle with the 
Ram Albemarle — Captures the Bombshell — Divisional Commander on 
James River — Takes Part in the Two Attacks on Fort Fisher — Subsequent 
Services — Present Condition. ...... 531 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



COMMODORE JOHN ROGERS. 



His Nativity — ^Enters the Navy — At the Commencement of the War Sent West 
to Supermtend the Building of Iron-CIads — Placed in Command of the 
Galena — Fight at Drury's Bluff — Commands the Wehawken — Attack on Fort 
Sumter — Captures the Atlanta — Compluneutary Letter from the Secretary 
of the Navy. . . . , . . . . .542 



30 CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XXVIII, 



PAQB 

REAR-ADMIRAL THOMAS T. CRAVEN 568 



REAR-ADMIRAL CHARLES II. BELL, 570 



REAR-ADMIRAL GEORGE F. PEARSON, 570 



REAR-ADMIRAL SYLVANUS GODON. 



REAR-ADMIRAL LANDER, 571 



REAR-ADMIRAL GREGORY, 571 



REAR-ADMIRAL WILLIAM RADFORD, 



COMMODORE HENRY WALKE 573 



COMMODORE JAMES ALDEN, 574 



COMMODORE PERCIVAL DRAYTON, 



CONTENTS. 31 



APPENDIX. 



Name and number of all the prizes taken by our blockading squadron during 
the war. — Number of prizes adjudicated up to the present time. — Amount 
of prize-money paid to crews up to date, January 27, 1867. . . 577 

Pay-table of the navy, giving the salaries of all the officers from Admiral down. 601 



CHAPTER I. 



MODEEN SOIENOE IH NAVAL WAEFARE.— EAELIEST NAVAL ENGAGEMENT ON BBO 

OED. — BATTLE OF SALAMIS". — EOMAN MODE OF FIGHTING. ANCIENT ENGINES 

AND IMPLEMENTS OF DESTEUOTION. — CANNON FIEST USED IN NAVAL COM- 
BATS. — THE TEEEIBLE BATTLE OF LEPANTO. — EAPIDITY WITH WHICH AN- 
CIENT NAVAL EXPEDITIONS WEEE FITTED OUT. — IMPEOVEMENT IN SHIP- 
BUILDING. ^THE PAIXHAN GUN. — EXPLOSION OF SHELLS BY CONCUSSION. — 

OJTR SECOND WAE WITH ENGLAND. — ASTOUNDING RESULTS OF THE VAEIOUS 
COMBATS. — CHIEF CAUSE OF OUR VICTORIES. — SIGHTS ON CANNON. — IN- 
FEEIOEITY OP OUE NAVY AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE REBELLION. — 

IMPEOVEMENTS IN GUNS. — DAHLGEEN GUN. DESCRIPTION OF THE PAEBOTT 

GUN. — CONSTRUCTION OF IRON-CLADS. — THE MONITOR, GALENA, AND IRON- 
SIDES. — FOUNDATION OF THE IRON-CLAD NAVY. — STRENGTH OF THE NAVY 
AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE WAE. — ITS DIVISION. — EXTENT OF COAST TO 

BE BLOCKADED. NUMBER OF VESSELS BUILT AND PURCHASED. — EUROPE ON 

THE BLOCKADE. — ENGLAND. — SOUTHERN EFFORTS TO BREAK THE BLOCKADE. 
BLOCKADE EUNNEES. NUMBEE OAPTUEED THE FIRST YEAR, — TOTAL NUM- 
BER DUEING THE WAE. — INCREASE OF OUE NAVAL FOEOE DUEING THE WAE. 
AMOUNT EXPENDED BY OUE NAVY DEPARTMENT. 

MoDEKN science lias worked greater changes in naval 
warfare since the breaking out of the recent rebellion 
than ever before in the same period of time. These 
changes have been not only in the size and destructive 
power of cannons, but in the mode of constructing ships 
of war. 

The earliest naval engagement on record was fought 
by Eurythus, a prince who controlled the Red Sea. 



34 INTEODUCTION. 

The most noted one of ancient times was tliat of Sa- 
lamis, between the Greeks and Persians. The fleet of 
the Latter consisted of twelve hundred galleys, manned 
by five hundred thousand men, while the former had 
but four hundi-ed vessels. Xerxes caused his throne to 
be placed on a mountain overlooking the scene of com- 
bat, in which he sat smTounded ^vith secretaries, pen in 
hand, to note the heroic deeds of individual commanders, 
and to mark the laggards in the conflict. The moun- 
tain ridges near the Acropolis and the Hill of Mars were 
crowded with spectators of the fight, which ended in the 
dispersion and destruction of the whole Persian fleet. 
This was five hundred years before Chiist. 

The Romans were accustomed to advance to the 
attack with their galleys arranged in the form of a trian- 
gle — the admiral's vessel at the head. Then, as now, 
human ingenuity multiplied the engines of destruction. 
Turrets were erected on the prow or stern, from which 
arrows could be discharged in showers; huge engines 
arose from the centre, from which rocks were hurled with 
a power that sent them, like round-shot, through the bot- 
toms of the vessels ; battering-rams swung from the 
masts, to beat in their sides ; while pots of live coals and 
melted pitch and combustible compounds were added 
to the battle-axe and spear. It is said that the ancestor 
of Hannibal threw pots of live and poisonous serpents 
on board his enemy's ships, which, darting around on 
deck, spread consternation among the crew. 

The invention of cannon introduced a new element 
into naval warfare. The Venetians and Genoese, the 
great naval powers of the 16th century, first used them 
in naval combats. The first great battle fought after their 
introduction was that of Lepauto, in 1571, between the 



BATTLE OF LEPiJNTO. 35 

Venetians and Spanisli on one side, and the Turks on tlie 
other, in which the great question was decided whether 
Christianity or Mohammedanism should control Southern 
Europe. The Tui'ks had two hundi'ed and thirty galleys 
and transports, with six vessels canying heavy artillery. 
The Christians had two hundred and fifty, manned with 
fifty thousand men. Nearly five hundred vessels, with 
two mighty armies on board, met in mortal combat. No 
time was lost in distant firing, for the vessels rijshed on 
each other in a close death-grapple. Modern naval war- 
fare furnishes no such an imposing array of force. It was 
a frightful struggle, and when it closed nearly a hundred 
of the Turkish vessels had sunk to the bottom of the 
sea, and twenty-five thousand men lay dead on the decks, 
or had disappeared beneath the waves. Ten thousand 
Christians also had fallen, making the total number of 
victims in this terrific sea-fight thirty-five thousand. 
Such a loss of life in a naval combat at the present day 
can hardly be conceived of. 

In those old barbarous times, as we are accustomed 
to call them, grand naval expeditions were fitted out 
with a rapidity that even in these days would be re- 
garded with astonishment. Rome once fitted out an 
immense fleet in ninety days after the trees were stand- 
ing in the forest. Piso built and equipped a fleet, to sail 
against the king of Syracuse, of two hundred and twenty 
vessels in forty-five days. 

War-vessels kej)t pace with improvements in ship- 
building, till huge fabrics with three gun-decks, and 
throwing a terrific amount of metal in a single broad- 
side, were launched by the great maritime powers of the 
world. 

Hollow shot or shells were very early introduced into 



36 rNTEODUCTION. 

tlie navy; but being thrown from mortars, were used 
cliiefly in assailing fortified places on land. The Paix 
han gun, though invented by an American, about 1812 
received but little attention here until it was introduced 
into France by Captain Paixhan. This was a great im^ 
provement in naval warfare, for with this piece of ord 
nance shell were fired point-blank like round-shot 
Before they were thrown in a curve, and hence of but 
little use on the water. The explosion of shells by con 
cussion was a great step forward. With this exception 
however, the improvement in cannon was very slight, 
There is, however, a great difference between the howitzer 
of 1693 and the Dahlgren howitzer, which is used for 
filing gi'ape and canister at close quarters. 

In our second war with England we made a great 
stride forward in naval warfare. England had been re- 
garded by the world as " mistress of the sea," and the 
attempt to contend with her on her favorite element was 
considered the world over to be a piece of madness on 
our part. 

The first conflict took place between the Constitution 
and Guerriere, and lasted less than an hour, yet so terri- 
bly was the English frigate cut up, that she went down 
in the waves while yet crimson with the blood of her slain. 

In the single-handed fight that occuiTed not long after 
between the United States and Macedonian, the latter 
had a third of her entire crew and ofiicers, numbering 
three hundred men, killed and wounded, while the 
American frigate lost but twelve, all told. So also the 
United States suffered but very little in her hull, while 
the Macedonian received a hundred shot below her bul- 
warks. In the fight between the Constitution and Java, 
the former came out of it with e^^ery spar standing, and 



CHIEF CAIJSE OF OTJE VICTOEIES. St 

ready for anotlier antagonist, while the latter resembled 
a slaughter-pen, and sank a helpless wreck to the bottom. 
In nearly every contest the same result foUow^ed. Not 
only were we the victors, but the disparity between the 
killed in the two ships, and the frightful manner in which 
the enemy was cut up, while we suffered but little, 
caused the most unbounded astonishment. The English 
accounted for it on the ground of a slight difference in 
the weight of the respective broadsides, or attributed 
it to mere accident. We made as great a mistake in 
boasting that our success arose from superior bravery or 
seamanship. The simple truth was, we had introduced 
an improvement in gunnery, of which the English at 
that time were ignorant. We liad placed sights on our 
cannon. The English regulated their firing by a pendu- 
lum, swinging in the square of the hatchway, by which 
the inclination of the ship was indicated, and which en- 
abled them to know when the guns were in a horizontal 
position, and thus, if in a smooth sea, on a level with the 
hostile ship. But with a vessel rolling on a swell it was 
a very uncertain guide. On the contrary, we had sights 
on the guns, sometimes on the muzzle-ring, answering to 
the forward sight of the rifle, and sometimes tubes were 
laid along the gun, and capable of being adjusted to suit 
the range. Hence our gunners took aim when they fired, 
and the consequence was, that in a broadside engagement, 
we, in an incredibly short space of time, made a wreck 
of the enemy. This rifle-practice with cannon on board 
ships was an entirely new thing in naval warfare. 

This new improvement was soon adopted by the naval 
powers of Europe, and others made, — so that at the com- 
mencement of the recent civil war, our navy was hardly 
equal to one of the third-rate maritime powers. The 



38 LNTEODUCTION. 

country was living on the fame of its former acliievements, 
and Lad we been suddenly thrown into war witli either 
France or England, we would have been amazed and 
mortified at the sorry exhibition our navy would have 
made. Our ports would have been blockaded and our 
ships shut up in harbors, until we could have built 
vessels and created a navy of respectable proportions. 
We were, however, making improvements in guns as 
well as England. The Dahlgren gun differs from ordi- 
nary cannon only in that the metal is taken from the 
forward part of the piece and put around the breech. 
The great strain always being in the back part of a can. 
non, the strength is concentrated here, so that a Dahl- 
gren gun and one constructed on the old principle of the 
same weight, would have very different calibres — the 
former throwing a much larger shot. Almost endless 
experiments have been made to make guns of large 
calibre that would be safe. The casting of so large a 
mass as a gun that should be capable of throwing one 
hundred or two hundred pound shot, and yet have it, in 
the cooling process, retain its strength, was very difficult. 
Throwing a jet of water in the bore while the atmosphere 
cooled the outside has overcome some of the difficulty. 

The rifled cannon of PaiTott attracted but little at- 
tention from the public at large, until the breaking out 
of the war. It seems strange that the superior accuracy 
of the rifle to the musket did not suggest rifled cannon 
before, but the great difficulty was to make any large 
ii'on ball fit so closely as to get a spiral motion from the 
grooves. This was at last overcome by having the ball 
long instead of round, and slightly conical, and a band 
of copper metal around the base, which would expand 
into the gi'ooves by the air being forced underneath it 



CONSTRUOTIOIT OF IRON-CLADS. 39 

wlien tlie charge was fired. A tumbling shot from a 
rifled piece would, of course, be worse than a round shot 
from a smooth bore. 

But a charge of thirty or forty pounds of powder 
required great strength in the breech of the piece, and 
to secure this, Parrott resorted to an ingenious contriv- 
ance. After the gun was cast, the surface of the breech 
was made of polished smoothness. Then a wrought-iron 
bar, several inches square, was rolled by machinery into 
a spiral coil, and the inside dressed off perfectly smooth, 
yet a fraction too small in bore to slip over the gun. 
This was then heated to make it expand, when it was 
driven over the breech. Contracting in cooling, it hugged 
the piece almost as close as though it had been welded 
to it. This wrought-iron reinforcement gives the rifled 
cannon prodigious strength, for the strain on the former 
is lengthwise of the metal. The various English rifled 
guns, such as the Whitworth, Armstrong, and others, 
differ only in the manner of producing the spiral motion 
of the shot or in being breech-loading. 

But the greatest improvements have been in the con- 
struction of iron-clad vessels. France and England had 
both for a long time been experimenting on a large scale 
in their construction, and though our attention had been 
directed to it, but little had been done except to encour- 
age by large appropriations the completion of the famous 
Stevens Battery at New York. But the breaking out of 
the civil war stimulated at once the proverbial ingenuity 
of Americans, and a great variety of models were j^ro- 
posed. The increased size of ordnance rendered a corre- 
sponding power of resistance in ships necessary, and 
Congress made an appropriation for the cariying out of 
some experiments in building iron-clad steamers. The 



40 INTRODUCTION. 

Secretary of the Navy was also authorized to appoint a 
board of tliree skilfiil naval officers to investigate the 
plans and specifications that might be submitted for their 
construction, and report on the same. The Navy De- 
partment immediately issued an advertisement for the 
construction of " one or more iron-clad steam vessels of 
war" for sea or river service, " to carry an armament of 
from eighty to one hundred and twenty tons' weight, 
with provisions and stores for from one hundred and 
eighty-five to three hundi*ed persons, according to arma- 
ment, for sixty days, with coal for eight days." This was 
in the forepart of August, 1861. The board consisted 
of Joseph Smith, H. Paulding, and C. H. Davis. By the 
middle of the next month their report was ready. Some 
seventeen propositions with specifications were sent in, 
of which only three were accepted. One was the Moni- 
tor of Ericsson, the price of which was to be $275,000; 
length of vessel 172 feet, breadth of beam 41 feet, depth 
of hold 10 feet, displacement 1,255 tons ; speed per horn-, 
nine statute miles. The second was the famous Ironsides, 
of Philadelphia, offered by Merrick & Sons. The price 
of this was to be $780,000; length of vessel 220 feet, 
breadth of beam 60 feet, depth of hold 23 feet, draught 
of water 13 feet, displacement 3,296 tons, speed per hour, 
nine and a half knots. The third proposition accepted, 
was that of Bushnell & Co., New Haven (the Galena). 
The price of this was $235,250 ; length of vessel 180 feet, 
breadth of beam • — feet, depth of hold 12^ feet, draught 

of water 10 feet, displacement, tons ; speed per hour, 

twelve knots. Of these it will be seen that the Ironsides 
was to be a very large vessel, and the contractors asked 
for nine months' time in which to complete her. In ac- 
cordance with the recommendation of the Board the 



FOUNDATION OF IKON-CLAD NAVY. 41 

Navy Department immediately made a contract witli tlie 
three parties named above, and our iron-clad navy was 
commenced. Ericsson's model was a novel one — the ves- 
sel being made to lie very low in the water, and to carry 
but two guns of large calibre, which were to be mounted 
in a shot-proof turret that revolved by machinery placed 
within it, so that, without manoeuvring the vessel, the 
broadside of two guns could be brought to bear on any 
desired point. 

These were not to be made for exhibition, and to 
awaken criticism or excite doubts, but for actual imme- 
diate combat. No time could be wasted on target prac- 
tice. The ponderous shot and shell already in use and 
to which wooden vessels presented no resistance, were to 
be tested on these, and the question settled at once for 
the whole world whether anything that would resist 
them could be made to float. 

The Board did not think it desirable to go into the 
question of large sea-going steamers ; for in the first place 
the appropriation was not sufficient, and in the second 
place, in this war, upon which we had entered, we should 
have little need of these, as the contest on the water was 
to be chiefly in our harbors and shoal rivers. 

Various minor improvements, of course, followed 
these, but the three vessels contracted for settled the 
question of iron-clads, and revolutionized naval warfare. 

But some months would necessarily elapse before 
these would be ready for service, and in the mean time 
the rebel ports must be blockaded, and such war-vessels 
as the enemy had stolen, or could extemporize, met and 
disposed of. 

The coast was to be guarded over three thousand 
miles in extent, while our little navy was scattered over 



42 LNTEODUCTION. 

the world at tlie time of tlie breaking out of hostilities, 
so that the home squadi'on consisted on the 4th of March, 
1861, the time of Mr. Lincoln's inauguration, of but 
twelve vessels, only a few of which were in Northern 
ports. These were the Pawnee, screw, at Washington, 
Crusader and Mohawk steamers, and a supply and store- 
ship at New York. Before the month closed, however, 
the Powhatan, Pocahontas, and Cumberland arrived. 

The old navy, all told, consisted of but seventy-six 
vessels, carrying 1,783 guns. Fifteen vessels returned 
during the year, which, as fast as they could, were ordered 
on duty. 

It can scarcely be wondered at, that Euroj)ean powers 
at first ridiculed the idea of our blockading so great an 
extent of coast with such an insignificant fleet. 

At the outset our naval force was divided into two 
squadrons — the Atlantic, extending south of Cape Florida, 
under Stringham, and the Gulf squadron, its line of 
blockade reaching from Cape Florida to Grand Gulf, 
under G. W. Mason, who, in September, was superseded 
by McKean. Besides these there was the Potomac flotil- 
la, necessary to keep open the water communication with 
Washington. Added to this, the Mississippi Biver must 
be opened, and a flotilla was at once ordered to be built 
on our western waters. Of course the necessities of the 
Government in a war of such gigantic proportions, and 
thrown so suddenly upon it, were too urgent to permit 
it to wait for the building of a sufficient number of ves- 
sels, and those to be used as a part of the navy, or that 
could be easily transformed into war-vessels, were pur- 
chased. One hundred and thirty-six were thus bought 
the first year, and fifty-two built, which, added to the old 
navy, made the new one to consist of 264 vessels, in all 



BLOCKADING THE SEAPOETS. 43 

caiTying 2,55^ guns, with an aggregate of 218,000 tons 
and 22,000 seamen. 

Although the seaports of Wilmington, Newbern, 
Charleston, Mobile, and New Orleans were very import- 
ant ones in a military point of view, and their occupa- 
tion by our forces necessaiy in the great plan for the 
overthrow of the rebel army, it was not expected they 
would be taken at once. Hence the sudden and great 
accession of naval strength was for the purpose of block- 
ading them, for the South being a non-manufacturing 
country, its guns, ammunition, clothing, etc., must be 
brought from abroad. It was of the utmost importance 
to cut off these supplies ; and the vessels which brought 
them belonging in the main to neutral powers, and the 
South having nothing deserving the name of a navy at 
sea, comparatively weak vessels would answer for block- 
ading purposes. Speed was the first consideration; 
number and size of guns a secondary one. The South 
being filled with cotton, the want of which had stopped 
many mills in England, it furnished a tem];)ting prize to 
adventui'ous ship-owners, especially as the articles which 
they brought in exchange for it would command fabu- 
lous prices. It had long ago been established as a law 
of nations that a "paper blockade^ or a blockade simply 
declared by proclamation, was not binding. There must 
be an adequate force to maintain it, or neutral powers 
were not obliged to regard it. Hence the enormous 
efforts of our Government to accumulate sufficient force 
at the various Southern seaports to sustain the Presi- 
dent's proclamation. Of course, we could not have main- 
tained the blockade of such an extent of coast had we 
been at a war with even a third-rate maritime power. 
The Southern Government, aware of this, began at once 



44 INTKODUCTION. 

to construct a powerful ram, for the purpose of running 
down our vessels and breaking up the blockade. Rams, 
or vessels constructed with an ii^on beak to sink ves- 
sels by running into them, bad been talked of before the 
war, and Col. Ellet urged on Congress the advantage to 
the Government of building such vessels. Their final 
adoption was another new feature in naval warfare. On 
our rivers and the smooth waters of our harbors they 
became powerful engines of destruction. 

Great efforts were made by Southern emissaries to 
get France and England to deny the blockade, and it 
was fondly believed by the rebel Government that Eng- 
land would do this, on account of the cotton, on which 
her mills dej)ended. It had been repeated so often by 
Southern speakers that " Cotton was king," that the 
South believed it, and that England, to keep her great 
manufactories going, and her millions fi*om starving, 
would risk a war rather than do without it. But the 
British Government dreaded nothing so much as a colli- 
sion with us, for although at the outset her powerful 
navy might overwhelm us, her statesmen "well knew our 
vast resources, great inventive capacity, national pride, 
and indomitable perseverance in anything that we un- 
dertook; in short, that if we fell, like Samson, we 
would carry the pillars of her commercial temple with 
us in our overthrow. 

But though, as a nation, she did not dare to disre- 
gard our blockade, she was not at all anxious to interfere 
with the private enterprise of her citizens in their efforts 
to render it ineffectual. The amount of shipping engaged 
in this nefarious business may be gathered fi'om the 
fact that the very first year, with our inadequate naval 
force, we captured a hundred and sixty-one blockade- 



OUE NAVAL EXPENSES. 45 

runnerSj and during tlie war, of botli small and great, 
more tlian a thousand were taken or destroyed. When 
it is remembered that only -a small percentage of those 
actually employed in this business were taken, at least in 
their first voyage, some estimate may be made of the 
number ^f times the blockade was run. 

From this brief summary it may be seen how weak our 
naval force was at the outset of the war — the urgency of 
the Government in getting those vessels home that were 
scattered over different seas, and the prodigious efforts it 
put forth to obtain a naval force sufficient for the vast 
work it had to do. How great this work was, may be gath- 
ered from the fact that during the war, two hundred and 
eight vessels were commenced, and most of them com- 
pleted, and four hundi'ed and eighteen purchased, while 
the number of men in the service was increased from 
7,600 to 51,500, and the number of artisans and laborers 
in the various navy -yards from 3,844 to 16,880, exclusive 
of an almost equal number engaged in private shipyards 
and establishments under contracts. The total sum 
expended by the Navy Department during the war was 
$314,170,960 68, or an annual average expenditure of 
$72,500,990 93. 

Designing this brief outline of naval affairs as an 
introduction to the heroic deeds of our naval commanders, 
we refer the reader to the Appendix for fuller and more 
complete statistics. 



CHAPTEK II. 

ADMIRAL DAVID GLASCOE FARRAGUT. 
HIS paekntage. — nis fathke serves in the EEVOLTJTIONART AEMT. — SA- 

TIVITT OF DAVID. — APPOINTED MIDSHIPMAN WHEN NINE YEARS OF AGE. 

SERVES TINDER CAPTAIN POETEE. — HIS FIEST CRUISE. — DESCRIPTION OF THE 
FIGHT IN VALPAEAISO HAEBOE. — DAVId's HEROIC CONDUCT. — IS 'WOUNDED. 
— SENT HOME ON PAROLE. — PUT TO SCHOOL. — SENT TO THE MEDITEB- 
EANEAN. — STUDIES UNDER THE CHAPLAIN. — HIS PROMOTION. — STATIONED 
AT NOEFOLK. — HIS MAERIAGE, — COMMANDS THE NAVY-TARD AT BAN 
FRANCISCO. — SECOND MAEEIAGE. — EEMAINS LOYAL AT THE BREAKING OUT 
OF THE REBELLION. — COMPELLED TO LEAVE NORFOLK. — COMMANDS THE 
EXPEDITION AGAINST NEW ORLEANS. — PASSAGE OF THE FORTS.— CAPTURE 
OF THE CITY. — HIS CAREER ON THE MISSISSIPPI. — DARING PASSAGE OF THE 
EEBEL BATTEEIES. — ANECDOTE. — EXPEDITION AGAINST MOBILE. — PASSES 
THE FORTS LASHED TO THE MAINMAST. — HIS AFTER- SERVICES AND PEG- 
MOTION. 

Ever since tlie second war witli England tlie navy- 
has been the pride of the country. When the sea closed 
over the Guerriere, a new era dawned on naval history. 
Erom that moment the supremacy of England on the 
seas was broken, and ever since, wherever the national 
flag has been borne over the waters of the world, it has 
been looked on with respect. Our navy, in that war, 
obtained a character which commanders and sailors have 
been proud to maintain, until the "blue coats" have been 
synonymous with bravery. The shout tliat shook the 



FIEST CEUISE. 47 

land when Hull returned witli tlie news of tliat first vic- 
tory in a fair broadside-to-broadside engagement witli 
one of England's finest frigates, kindled a feeling of 
pride in tlie lieart of tlie people tLat has never since died 
out. Defeats may be expected on tlio land, but never 
on the sea. Witli sucli names heading the list of naval 
heroes as Hull and Bainbridge and Lawrence and Deca- 
tur and Porter and Perry and McDonough and Blakely 
and others, our commanders at the commencement of this 
war had a difficult task before them to maintain the high 
reputation which these illustrious captains had given the 
navy. 

But no better name could be found than Farragut's 
vrith which to recommence that roll of renown. His 
father was born on the island of Minorca, in the Mediter- 
ranean Sea, but came to this country in 1776, at the open- 
ing of the great struggle for our independence. Entering 
at once into the spirit of that contest, like Kosciusko, 
Steuben, and Pulaski, he joined the ragged, ill-paid army 
of the colonies, and by his gallant conduct rose to the 
rank of Major. At the close of the war he married Miss 
Shire, of North Carolina, and settled down on our west- 
ern frontier near Knoxville, Tennessee. Here, at Camp- 
bell's station, in 1801, David Glascoe Farragut was born. 
Although his early childhood was passed among the 
great forests of the West, his mind turned to the distant 
ocean, and in 18 JO, though but nine years of age, he ob- 
tained a midshipman's berth under Capt. Porter. This 
place was probably secured through the influence of his 
father, who was a warm friend of the captain, they being 
at that time sailing-masters in the navy together. A 
mere boy, of an age needing a mother's care, and scarce 
big enough to climb to the top of the bulwarks of his 



48 ADMIRAL DAVID GLASCOE FAREAGUT. 

vessel, lie was launclied forth on tlie sea and tlie world 
together. Two years after, the war with England broke 
out, and he put to sea in the Essex, bearing on her defiant 
flag, " Free Trade and Sailors' Rights." Porter sailed in 
April, and as he passed down by the battery, he sent 
five shots into Castle William, to "try its strength;" then 
floating through the Narrows, swept off into the broad 
Atlantic. Young Farragut's first experience of a battle 
on that element which was to be his future home and 
field of renown, was in August. On the 13th the Eng- 
lish sloop-of-war Alert hove in sight, and thinMcg to 
make an easy prey of the Essex, ran boldly down on her 
weather quarter, and giving three cheers, poured in a 
broadside. The Essex returned it with such firry that in 
eight minutes the English vessel had seven feet of water 
in her hold, and struck her colors. Young Farragut had 
gone to school in a wild sort of fashion, and his first les- 
son was one he was not likely ever to forget. A fort- 
night after. Porter came in sight of an English frigate just 
at dark, and fearing his powerful antagonist might lose 
him in the night, he hoisted a light, but in the morning 
the enemy was nowhere to be seen. Four days later he 
found himself near St. George's bank, close upon two 
ships of war, which immediately gave chase. As night 
came on he found the enemy gaining rapidly on him, and 
so he determined to heave about, and try to pass the 
largest ship unobserved, and in case he failed to do so, to 
give him one broadside and board him. He called the 
crew about him and made known his plans. Three 
cheers greeted the bold determination, and soon the 
vessel was bowling along in the darkness in the direction 
where his powerful adversary was last seen. He, how- 
ever, passed him without being observed. 



THE ESSEX IN THE PAOIFIO. 49 

Not long after Farragut received another lesson in 
naval matters wliicli his after-career shows was not lost 
on him. Sir James Yeo, of the frigate Southampton, 
sent a challenge to Porter in which, after presenting his 
compliments, he said he " would be glad to have a tete-a- 
tete anywhere between the Capes of Delaware and the 
Havana, when he would have the pleasure to break his 
own sword over his d — d head, and put him down forward 
in irons." To this Porter replied that he " accepted with 
pleasure his polite invitation," and " would prefer meet- 
ing near the Delaware Capes, where Capt. P. pledges his 
honor that no other American vessel shall interrupt their 
tete-d-tete. The Essex may be known by a flag bearing 
the motto : ' Free Trade and Sailors' Rights.' And 
when that is struck to the Southampton, Capt. Porter 
will deserve the treatment j)romised by Sir James." The 
blustering Englishman, however, did not take advantage 
of the ofter, but one can see that the boy Farragut was 
to study his profession under a competent teacher. 

But young David was soon transferred to a different 
scene. In October, Commodore Bainbridge having sailed 
from Boston with the Constitution and Hornet, Porter, 
then lying in the Delaware with the Essex, was ordered 
to join him in Port Pray a, in St. Jago, or at Fernando, 
Noreuha. But the capture of the Java by the Constitu- 
tion, and of the Peacock by the Hornet, caused a change 
in the plans of Bainbridge ; and Porter not finding him at 
either of the places above mentioned, or off Frio, another 
rendezvous designated by the Commodore, he was left to 
cmise where he thought best. After revolving various 
schemes, he at length, in midwinter, took the bold resolu- 
tion to go alone into the Pacific, where he had not a 
depot of any kind, or a place in which a vessel could be 
4 



50 ADMRAL DAVm GLASCOE FAERAGUT. 

refitted, ■while all the neutral ports were under the influ- 
ence of our enemy, and make a dash at the British fisher- 
men, and obtain his suj)plies from them. His prow was 
at once turned southward. Fierce storms oft' Cape Horn 
again and again beat him back ; but he held on, and at 
length took the breezes of the Pacific, and stretched 
northward. Cruising here, he captured several vessels, 
until he had quite a little fleet. One of them, the Atlan- 
tic, he named the Essex Junior, and put it under the com- 
mand of Lieut. Downes; Finding^ at lens^th it was neces- 
sary to refit, and hearing that English cruisers were after 
him, he repaired to the Marquesas islands, and there, in 
a sequestered bay, repaii^ed his vessels. The natives 
were at first friendly, but at length the Typees, a warlike 
tribe, succeeded in arousing the others to hostilities, and 
a plan was laid to murder all the American crews. Por- 
ter saw that he must make them feel his power, and so 
taking nearly his whole crew with him, he boldly entered 
the mountains, swarming with thousands of the natives, 
and marched towards the Typee villages. Compelled at 
first to retreat, he at length, after incredible hardships, 
reached the summit of the mountains, from which he 
descended in wrath on the beautiful plain below, and 
driving the natives into a fortress, set fire to theii' towns, 
and returned to the ship. David was now only twelve 
years old, yet he was eager to join the expedition ; but 
much to his disappointment was left behind with the few 
that remained to take care of the ships. In the noontide 
of his fame, his attention being called to this period of 
his boyhood, he was asked why he did not accompany 
the captain in his notable campaign against the Typees. 
He replied, with his usual humor : ^'•Iwas ruled mit — my 
hgs being considered too short to cross tlie mountains^ 



ACTION" WITH THE PHCEBE. 51 

It may easily be imagined tliat they were altogether too 
short for such a rough land-cruise as that of the captain's 
against the hostile tribes. 

But all these new and trying scenes were merely pre- 
paratory to the great trial which was to fix his character 
for all future time. Porter, having finished his repairs, 
and leaving his two prizes behind, set sail in December, 
and arrived in Valparaiso the 12 th of January. Here he 
determined to wait for the British ship Phoebe, which, 
he learned, had been sent out on purpose to caj^ture 
him. She at length arrived; but not alone — the Cherub, 
sloop-of war, bearing her company. These vessels bore 
flags with the mottoes : " God and our country — British 
sailors' best rights — ^Traitors offend them." Porter im- 
mediately hoisted at his mizen : " God, our country, and 
liberty — Tyrants offend them." 

The English ships having taken in supplies, cruised 
outside for six weeks, completely blockading the Essex. 
Porter tried in vain to bring on an engagement with the 
Phoebe, but the latter steadily avoided it, though superior 
both in weight of metal and the number of men. Por- 
ter, finding that he had got to fight both vessels at once 
or not at all, and hearing that other British cruisers were 
on their way to the port, resolved to put to sea. So on 
the 28th of March, the wind blowing fresh, he stood out 
of port. But in doubling the Point of Angels to clear 
the harbor, a squall struck the vessel, carrying away the 
maintop-mast, and with it several men, who were 
drowned. It would not do to go to sea in this crippled 
condition, and unable to beat back to his former anchor- 
age ground, he ran to the northeast side of the harbor 
and dropped anchor within three miles of the city, and 
a mile and a half from the Castello Viego. He was 



52 ADMIRAL DAVID GLASCOE FAERAGUT. 

clearly on neutral ground, and where now, in tlie same 
circumstances, no nation on the globe would dare to fire 
into an American man-of-war. Yet Captain Hillyai" 
moved down on liim with both his vessels, and choosing 
his position, opened his broadsides on the Essex. Porter 
saw at once that to conquer was impossible, yet he 
resolved to fight his vessel to the last, and ordered the 
decks cleared for action. With the few guns he could 
bring to bear, he opened such a terrific fire that in a 
short time both vessels had to haul off for repairs. The 
cannonading had aroused the inhabitants, and they came 
thronging by thousands to see the unequal fight, and 
soon darkened the surrounding heights. Hillyar, having 
completed his repairs, came back and took his position 
where Porter could not bring a gun to bear. Proud and 
unyielding, he lay there for a while a helpless target on 
the water. Seeing that he would soon be sent to the 
bottom, he determined to make a desperate effort to 
board the largest vessel. But his sheets and halyards 
had been so shot away, that not a sail could be set except 
the flying jib. Gi\dng this to the wind and cutting his 
cable, he drifted slowly do^vn on his foes, and getting 
them at length within range of his carronades, opened a 
terrible fire. The cannonade on both sides now became 
swift and awful. The Essex, being set on fire and swept 
by the broadsides of both vessels, at length became 
almost totally unmanageable ; but still she worked 
slowly forward, hoping to close, when Porter knew his 
inferior but brave crew would carry the vessel like a 
storm. But the English commanders, seeing their ad- 
vantage, kept away. It was a painful sight to behold' 
that crippled vessel, bravely limping up to grapple with 
her powerful adversary, and that adversary as slowly 



TEEEIFIO FIGHTING. 53 

moving off, and pouring in tlie wliile a rapid, murderous 
fire. Hulled at almost every shot, lier decks ripped up, 
and strewed witli tlie dead, lier guns torn from their 
carriages and rendered useless, it was evident the noble 
frigate could not be fought much longer. Porter saw 
his hopeless condition and, as a last resort, rather than 
strike his flag, resolved to run his vessel ashore and blow 
her up. Her head was with difficulty turned towards 
the beach and had actually got within musket-shot of it 
when the unsympathizing wind suddenly veered and 
blew him straight back on the Phoebe and under her 
raking broadsides. Still unyielding, Porter hoped by 
this untoward event to get foul and board the enemy. 
It was a last vain effort — fate was against him; the 
Phoebe kept edging away, raking the Essex as she 
retii-ed. 

The scene on board the frigate at this time was hor- 
rible. The cock-pit was crowded with the wounded; 
men by the dozen were mowed down at every dis- 
charge ; fifteen had fallen successively at one gun, and 
scarcely a quarter-deck officer was left standing. And 
where was the boy Farragut all this time ? A midship- 
man, it is true, he was, but nevertheless a lad only twelve 
years of age, too young to be standing in such a human 
slaughter-house. Only old and war-hardened hearts 
should beat unmoved amid such a wild scene. Yet there 
he stood — his delicate form rigid as iron, and his young 
heart fearless and proud as that of his commander. The 
deck ran blood beneath his tender feet, the splintered 
timbers crashed and shivered around him, and the mur- 
derous shot lifted the locks from his fair young head as 
they shrieked past him. The gore and clotted flesh of 
the brave men falling around him covered his garments, 



54 ADMIEAL DAVID GLASCOE FAEEAGUT. 

and tlie blood was trickling from a wound iu Lis own 
side ; yet tLere lie stood manfully to the guns, his childisli 
voice sounding strangely in that wild uproar, and his 
innocent blue eyes blazing with unnatural light amid that 
carnival of death as they turned unblenchingly on his 
beloved commander. Porter's case was evidently hoj3e. 
less; but disdaining to yield, he made one more final 
attempt to bring his vessel around so as to make his 
broadside bear. He let go his sheet-anchor, and the 
staggering vessel, swinging slowly around again, pre- 
sented her guns to the astonished foe. But the hawser 
parted in the strain, and the vessel lay an unmanageable 
wreck on the water, while to comj)lete the disaster, the 
flames burst from the hatchway and rolled away towards 
the magazine. Porter now saw that his doom was 
inevitably sealed ; and seeing that his boats had all been 
shot away, he ordered those of his crew who could swim, 
to jump overboard and attempt to reach the shore, three 
quarters of a mile distant. He then, with the few who 
chose to remain on board, among whom was young Far- 
ragut, extinguished the flames, and again shotted the few 
guns that could be brought to bear. It was, however, the 
last feeble eftbrt of despair, for the water being smooth, 
and the enemy able to choose his own positions, he soon 
made a riddle of the American frigate. Her wounded 
were killed while under the hands of the surgeons, and 
only one of the carpenter's crew remained to stop the 
shot-holes, though the water was now pouring through 
in torrents. Porter would have gone down with his flag 
flying, but for the number of wounded that he would 
be compelled to take to the bottom with him ; and so, 
after this unparalleled struggle of two hours and a half, 
he gave the melancholy orders to lower his flag. 



A CHEISTENING FOE WAE. 55 

I have given a lengthy description of this naval com- 
bat, because of its important bearing on Farragut's char- 
acter. The future Admii-al was christened in this awful 
baptism of fire. It was his first great lesson in naval 
combat, and it could not have been otherwise than 
stamped in indelible lines on his young heart. It was 
a fearfal trial for one so youthful ; but as he had chosen 
the navy for his profession, it was important he should 
see how a ship ought to be fought. To one of his age it 
would naturally occur that such was the only way a gal- 
lant commander would act, and of course he would set- 
tle it in his mind at once and forever, that it was the 
way he must act if ever called to command a vessel. 
That his futm-e character was fixed in this unparalleled 
combat, his after-life clearly shows. In his daring pas- 
sage of the forts below New Orleans, which to common 
men seemed madness — in his entrance to Mobile harbor, 
lashed to the maintop to direct the battle, he only acted 
over again the scenes of his boyhood. As one contem- 
plates him in these daring enterprises, the mind involun- 
tarily goes back to that battle in Valparaiso harbor. 
They are the lessons of boyhood put into practice in ma- 
tui'er years. We see simply the soul of Porter transferred 
to the soul of the boy that stood and battled by his side. 

That his bearing on this occasion was gallant and 
heroic beyond his years, is evident from the fact that it 
attracted the especial attention of Porter. A hero of 
the grandest mould himself, and surrounded by heroic 
men — witnessing a devotion and courage seldom seen — 
he yet was struck by the conduct of this boy of twelve, 
and made special mention of him in his report to the 
Secretary of the Navy, adding, evidently with regret, 
that notwithstaDdino; his meritorious conduct, he was 



56 ADMIEAL DAVID GLASCOE FAEEAGUT. 

" too young for promotion." Only twelve years old, lie 
yet liad beliaved mtli such distinguished gallantry that 
he deserved a lieutenant's commission. The history of 
our navy records no other such instance. That such a 
boy, if he lived and circumstances permitted it, would be 
heard from again, was evident. He received his fii'st 
wound in this engagement ; but young as he was, it did 
not keep him from his post of duty. He was sent home 
in the Essex Junior, among the paroled officers. Por- 
ter's interest in the boy was enhanced by his heroic con- 
duct in this battle, and he had him put to school at 
Chester and taught military tactics. He however was 
soon afloat again, being attached to the Mediterranean 
squadron. In 1816, we find him on board a ship of 
the line, where he became acquainted with the chaplain, 
the Rev. Charles Folsom, who took a great interest in 
him, and to whose instructions Farragut attributes much 
of his after-success in life. Afterwards, the chaplain was 
appointed our consul at Tunis, and David was sent with 
him. From this intimacy of three years' duration, sprung 
up a friendship which neither change of circumstances 
nor years of separation ever weakened. Mr. Folsom, in 
a letter respecting Farragut's life during the long peace 
that followed, says that it differed little from that of 
other officers. By slow degrees he worked his way up 
the difficult ladder of promotion, but did not reach the 
rank of lieutenant till the year 1825. He then married 
a lady of Norfolk ; but it proved a less happy connec- 
tion than he had anticipated, for she soon became a 
great sufferer, and continued so till relieved by death. 
Her trials, however, were relieved as much as they could 
be by a care and devotion and tenderness, such as a 
srreat soul like his alone can exhibit. 



LOYAL TO THE LAST. 57 

lu 1841 he was made commander, and in 1851 cap- 
tain. Promotion comes so slow in "piping times of 
peace " that it took him forty-one years to reach the rank 
of captain. He by turns sailed in almost every sea 
visited by our fleets, and by his studies and intercourse 
with other nations became proficient in several modern 
languages. At one time he was stationed at the Norfolk 
navy-yard, and afterwards was placed in command of the 
nav}^-yard at San Francisco. He also held the j)ost of 
assistant inspector of ordnance for three years. In the 
mean time he mamed again, and this time also took his 
wife fi'om Norfolk, Miss Virginia Loyall, daughter of a 
prominent citizen of the place. By her he had one son, 
now a cadet at West Point — choosing the military rather 
than the naval service. 

He thus passed through his youth and manhood, and 
bade fair to pass through life without exhibiting any of 
those extraordinary qualities for which his boyhood was 
distinguished. He was nearly threescore years old 
when the rebellion broke out, having seen forty-eight 
years of service. 

At this time he was living at Norfolk, and being a 
Southerner by birth and connected with the South by 
marriage, it was supposed by his Southern friends that 
he would cast in his lot with them. The tide seemed all 
to set that way. Officers went over by the dozen, whole 
messes resigned ; and it was held dishonorable not " to 
go with their States," as it was termed. Yerj few 
Southern officers were proof against this feeling, especially 
as it was fully believed by them that the North and 
South would hereafter be separate nations. Even Lee 
said that if he thought the Union would ever be restored, 
he would go with the North, but as the two portions 



58 ADinEAL DAVID GLASCOE FAERAGUT. 

must inevitably constitute separate nationalities, he felt 
it his duty to cast his future in with tLe South. A few, 
however, remained true ; and among these was Farragut. 
He had grown up fi'om childhood with the old flag wav- 
ing morning and night over his head ; and from the time 
when, a mere boy, he had watched its bright folds 
gleaming amid the storm of battle in Valparaiso har- 
bor — and with a great sorrow, such as his young heart 
never felt before, had seen it lowered to the foe — his 
love for it had grown with his growth and strength- 
ened with his strength ; and now he could not desert it. 
It was dearer to him than kindred, and he would stand 
by it to the last, and if fall he must in the deadly strife, 
it should be beneath it waving in all its pristine glory. 
He made no concealment of his views, and his Southern 
friends were at first astonished at what they considered 
his treason to the South ; and then became indignant, 
and plainly hinted to him that it might be unsafe to re- 
main longer in the South. " Very well," said he, " I will 
then go where I can live -with such sentiments." At 
length Fort Sumter fell, and then came the conspii'acy to 
seize the Norfolk navy-yard. Farragut now saw that if 
he expected to render his country any service in the awful 
struggle on which she was being so wildly launched, he 
must leave Norfolk ; and so, on the night of the 18th of 
April, 1861, he bade adieu to his home, and tm'ned his 
face northward. The very next day the navy-yard was 
set on fire. The Government was thunderstruck at the 
abyss opening beneath it, and knew not whom to trust 
amid the general defection. It had but few ships ; and 
Farragut's services being uncalled for, he took up his 
abode on the Hudson Eiver, just below Tarrytown, and 
watched with gloomy forebodings the increasing storm. 



FOECE OF THE EXPEDITION. 59 

Being a stranger in tlie vicinity, his solitary walks in the 
fields were watched with suspicion, and it was whispered 
about that he was one of a band of conspirators to cut 
the Croton Aqueduct. 

The Administration seemed asleep or stupefied ; but 
after the battle of Bull Run, the following summer, it 
aroused from its lethargy, and began to act as though 
the country was really in the midst of civil war. In the 
autumn it resolved to make a bold push for the capture 
of New Orleans. The West Gulf Blockading Squadron, 
mth twenty bomb-schooners, was to constitute the naval 
force, with which a land force of eighteen hundred men 
under Maj. Gen. Butler was to cooperate. Preparations 
were set on foot before the naval commander was deter- 
mined on — an unwise step to start with ; but the blunder 
was more than compensated by the fortunate selection of 
Farragut. The country knew but little about him, and 
when his name was published as the head of the expedi- 
dion, vastly more was expected from Porter, who com- 
manded the bomb vessels, than from him. 

lie received his orders on the 20th of January, 1862, 
and on the 3d of next month sailed from Hampton Poads 
in the flag-ship Hartford — a vessel destined to assume a 
place in our naval history second only to that of the Old 
Constitution. The place of rendezvous was Ship Island, 
at which he arrived in seventeen days, and immediately 
began to make the arrangements necessary for the hercu- 
lean task before him. He would have entered into a com- 
bat on the deep without any hesitation ; but the work to 
which he was assigned — to beat down or run the batteries 
lining both sides of a river — was an entirely different under- 
taking. It was a new, untried experiment, and presented 
diflaculties that to some seemed impossible to surmount ; 



60 AD]\IIEAL DAVID GLASCOE FAREAGUT. 

but indomitable energy, he well knew, could over- 
come the greatest obstacles, and the fleet set sail and 
arrived safely at the entrance of the Mississippi. It was 
desirable to get the powerful steam frigate Colorado, Cap- 
tain Bailey commanding, over the bars at the mouth of 
the river; but as she drew, with her armament aboard, 
twenty-two feet of water, and the deepest soundings gave 
only fifteen, this was found to be impossible. The Mis- 
sissippi and Pensacola were got over only by great 
labor ; and at length the fleet was safely anchored at the 
head of the Pass k 1' Outre and the Southwest Pass. 
Those who saw with what care Farragut attended to the 
minutest details — the thorough preparation which he 
made for every contingency — felt that his bravery was 
equalled by his prudence and forethought. 

The expedition, when it sailed on its secret, unknown 
destination from the North, created the liveliest interest ; 
and when, at last, it was discovered that its object was the 
capture of New Orleans, the greatest enthusiasm prevailed, 
for the opening of the Mississippi was the first great 
object of the administration. But the long delays that 
followed, cooled down the public expectation, and it 
was at last almost lost sight of in the stirring victories 
that were taking place farther north under the gallant 
Foote. But Farragut, patient as well as daring, was 
biding his time. 

Six war steamers, sixteen gunboats, twenty-one mortar 
vessels, with five other national vessels, comprised the fleet 
which had now fairly entered on its work. 

It was a grand spectacle when, on the 16th of March, 
this formidable fleet at last opened its fire. The low 
banks of the river on both sides seemed inherent with 
flame, and the deep reverberations of the guns rolled like 



A FIEE-EAFT. 61 

heavy thunder up the lordly Mississippi. All day long 
the earth trembled under the heavy explosions, and by 
night two thousand shells had been hurled a";ainst the 
forts.* 

Farragut and Porter had obtained the exact distance 
of the forts by triangulation, performed by the coast 
survey under Captain Gerdes — Messrs. Harris and Olt- 
manns doing the work. Thus, sui*veyors' instruments pre- 
pared the way for the direct cannon shot. The rebels had 
not been idle during the delays of the previous weeks, but 
had contrived and constructed every possible instrument 
of destruction and defence. On the first morning of the 
bombardment they set adrift a lire-ship made of a huge 
flatboat piled with lighted pitch-pine cord- wood. It came 
drifting slowly down the sluggish stream, burning with a 
fierce crackling roar, and darkening all the sky with its 
volumes of black eddying smoke. Shot and shell had no 
effect on it, save to fill the air with flying sparks and 
blazing brands, and it kept steadily on its flaming path, 
straight towards our vessels. Two of the advance steam- 
ers were in danger of getting foul of it, and, slipping their 
cables, moved down the stream. On swept the unwieldy, 
blazing mass, and, keeping the middle of the stream, 
passed the entire fleet without inflicting any damage. As 
it disappeared below, the taunts and jeers of the sailors 
followed it. To be prepared for another, Captain Por- 
ter ordered all the row-boats of the flotilla, a hundred 
and fifty in number, to be supplied with grapnels, ropes, 
and buckets, ready at a moment's notice to seize it and 
tow it ashore. At night the rebels set another adrift, and 
as it towered majestically in the darkness near the forts, 

* The account of the bombardment by the mortars will be found In the sketch 
of Vice- Admiral Porter. 



62 ADJnEAL DAVID GLASCOE FAEEAGUT. 

signal-lights were run up on all the vessels, and those hun- 
dred and fifty boats leaped forth on the water as though 
created by magic. Down came the pyramid of flame, 
lighting the reed-fringed shores with a ruddy glow, and 
turning the muddy waters into molten flame. Swinging 
easily on the mighty current, it moved steadily down till 
its baleful glare was cast over the vessels at anchor along 
the banks. Suddenly out of the surrounding darkness, 
right into the blazing light the Westfield dashed with a 
full head of steam on, and, steering straight for the burn- 
ing pile, buried its bows in the crackling mass, while her 
hose poured a torrent of water upon it. The next mo- 
ment the diminutive row-boats shot into the light, and, 
sweeping swiftly over the ruddy waters, each sailor and 
oar painted in dark lines against the fiery background, 
fastened boldly to the burning structure, not knowing but 
that it was filled with torpedoes and missiles of death that 
might explode at any moment. They then gave way with 
a will, and in a short time the grand and imposing struc- 
ture that seemed fraught with destruction, was consuming 
ignobly away against the shore. Loud cheers from the 
whole fleet greeted the gallant exploit. 

The bombardment which had commenced was kept up 
steadily for a week, and although the fire, when the exact 
range was got, was very severe, setting the citadel of 
Fort Jackson on fire and driving the gunners from their 
pieces, the forts seemed as far from being reduced as ever. 
In the mean time shells, fuses, cartridge-boxes, coal, and 
hospital stores were getting short ; the gunners on the 
mortar-boats were worn out, and when relieved from their 
guns would fall doAvn exhausted on deck. It was evident 
that something else must be tried, or the expedition be 
abandoned. In this extremity a council of war was called 



PEEPAEma THE SHIPS. 63 

on board the flag-ship, composed of the different com- 
manders, and the question was put. What next shall be 
done ? After it was over, Farragut issued his order : 
" The flag-officer, having heard all the opinions expressed 
by the different commanders, is of the opinion that what- 
ever is to be done will have to be done quickly. When, 
in the opinion of the flag-officers, the propitious time has 
arrived, the signal will he made to weigh, and adva^ice to 
the conflict. * * * He will make the signal for close 
action. No. 8, and abide the result — conquer or he con- 
quei^edy 

A short time before, a French vessel had gone up to 
the forts, and on its return, one of its officers told Farragut 
he never could get by them. He replied, " I am ordered 
to go to New Orleans, and I intend to do so." 

This decision having been reached, it only remained 
to get his wooden fleet in the best possible state of pre- 
paration for the terrible ordeal to which it was to be ex- 
posed. How this was done cannot be better described 
than in Farragut's own language. He says: "Every 
vessel was as well prepared as the ingenuity of her com- 
mander and officers could suggest, both for the preserva- 
tion of life and of the vessel ; and perhaps there is not on 
record such a display of ingenuity as has been evinced in 
this little squadron. The first was by the engineer of the 
Richmond, Mr. Moore, by suggesting that the sheet cables 
be stopped up and down on the sides, in the line of the 
engines, which was immediately adopted by all the vessels. 
Then each commander made his own arrano-ements foi' 
stopping the shot from penetrating the boilers or ma- 
chinery, that might come in forward or abaft, by ham- 
mocks, coal, bags of ashes, bags of sand, clothes-bags, and, 
m fact, every device imaginable. The bulwarks were 



64 adjural david glascoe faeeagut. 

lined with hammocks by some, by splinter-nettings made 
with ropes by others. Some rubbed their vessels over 
with mud, to make their ships less visible, and some 
white-washed their decks, to make things more visible by 
night during the fight. In the afternoon, I visited each 
ship, in order to know positively that each commander 
understood my orders for the attack, and to see that all 
was in readiness. I had looked to their efficiency beibre. 
Every one appeared to understand his orders well, and 
looked forward to the conflict with firmness, but with 
anxiety, as it was to be in the night, or two o'clock in the 
morning." 

The following order had been previously issued to the 
various commanders : 



You will prepare your ship for service in the Mississippi river in the fol- 
lowing manner : 

Send down the top-gallant masts. Eig in the flying jib-hoom, and land 
all the spars and rigging, except what are necessary for the three topsails, 
foresail, jib, and spanker. Trice up the topmast stays, or land the whiskers, 
and bring all the rigging into the bowsprit, so that there shall be nothing in 
the range of the direct fire ahead. 

Make arrangements, if possible, to mount one or two guns on the poop 
and top-gallant forecastle ; in other words, be prepared to use as many guns 
as possible ahead and astern, to protect yourself against the enemy's gun- 
boats and batteries, bearing in mind that you will always have to ride head 
to the current, and can only avail yourself of the sheer of the helm to point 
a broadside gun more than three points forward of the beam. 

Have u kedge in the mizzen chains (or any convenient place) on the 
quarter, with a hawser bent and leading through in the stern chock, ready for 
any emergency ; also grapnels in the boats, ready to hook on to, and to tow 
off, fire-ships. Trim your vessel a few inches by the head, so that if she 
touches the bottom she will not swing head down the river. Put your boat 
howitzers in the foremaintops, on the boat carriages, and secure them for 
firing abeam, &c. Should any injury occur to the machinery of the ship 
making it necessary to drop down the river, you will back and fill down 
under sail, or you can drop your anchor and drift down, but in no case 
attempt to turn the ship's head down stream. You will have a spare hawser 
ready, and when ordered to take in tow your next astern, do so, keeping the 



faeragut's order. 65 

hawser slack so long as the ship can maintain her own position, having a care 
not to foul the propeller. 

No vessel must withdraw from battle, under any circumstances, without 
the consent of the flag-ofScer. You will see that force and other pumps and 
engine hose are in good order, and men stationed by them, and your men will 
be drilled to the extinguishing of fire. 

Have light Jacob-ladders made to throw over the side for tlie use of the 
carpenters in stopping shot holes, who are to be supplied with pieces of inch 
board lined with felt and ordinary nails, and see that the ports are marked 
in accordance with the "ordnance instructions" on the berth deck, to show 
the locality of the shot hole. 

Have many tubs of water about the decks, both for the purpose of extin- 
guishing fire and for drinking. Have a heavy kedge in the port main-chains, 
and a whip on the main-yard, ready to run it up and let fall on the deck of 
any vessel you may run alongside of, in order to secure her for boarding. 

You will be careful to have lanyards on the lever of the screw, so as to 
secure the gun at the proper elevation, and prevent it from running down at 
each fire. I wish you to understand that the day is at hand when you will be 
called upon to meet the enemy in the worst form for our profession. You 
must be prepared to execute all those duties to which you have been so long 
trained in the navy without having the opportunity of practising. I expect 
every vessel's crew to be well exercised at their guns, because it is required 
by the regulations of the service, and it is usually the first object of our 
attention ; but they must be equally well trained for stopping shot holes and 
extinguishing fire. Hot and cold shot will, no doubt, be freely dealt to us, 
and there must be stout hearts and quick hands to extinguish the one and 
stop the holes of the other. 

T shall expect the most prompt attention to signals and verbal orders 
sitlier from myself or the captain of the fleet, who, it will be understood, in 
all cases acts by my authority. 

D. G. FAREAGUT, 
Flag- Officer, Western Gulf Bloclcading Squadron. 

Having at last made all the preparations that he could 
with the means allowed him, and the mortar-boats having 
accomplished all that was in their power to do for the 
present, the 26th day of April was fixed for the passage 
of the forts. The chain across the channel had been cut 
a few nights before, and a daring reconnoissance by Lieu- 
tenant Caldwell, on the night preceding the intended 
movement, showed that it had not been repaired. 



66 ADMRAL DAVID GLASCOE FAKE AG UT. 

It was determined to start at two o'clock in the morn- 
ing, and, the evening before, Farragut visited his ships for 
a last interview with the commanders. These brave men 
Avere anxious as he himself was, as he went from ship to 
ship on that momentous afternoon, to see that his orders 
were understood ; for there were two powerful forts, 
mounted with heavy guns, with their terrific cross-fire, to 
be passed, while fire-ships, rams, and iron-clad gunboats 
lay beyond this gate of death, ready to receive what might 
remain of the crippled squadron, if any portion should 
succeed in getting through. Hopes, fears, doubts of suc- 
cess, and anticipations of glory, by turns filled their hearts, 
but on none did such a heavy load lay as on Farragut. 

That quiet spring evening was passed as the few hours 
that precede a desperate battle always is. Some, gay and 
reckless, laughed and joked over the coming encounter, 
with all the thoughtlessness of sailors ; others spent it in 
indicting last letters to loved ones at home, and entrusting 
keepsakes to friends, should they fall ; while some God- 
fearing men knelt in prayer, and committed their lives 
calmly into the hands of Him whose purposes are ever 
right. The mighty river swept placidly by, fanned by the 
balmy breeze, and the quiet stars came out one by one and 
looked do^m, tranquil as ever, on the unconscious stream, 
giving no token of the coming earthquake. Some, inured 
to danger, lay down and slept soundly as ever; others 
paced the deck, taking, as they believed, their last look of 
the tranquil heavens. 

Thus the hours wore away, and midnight came, and 
still all was quiet on land and water, save the solemn 
boom, at short intervals, of a gun from the boats on watch 
far up stream. At length, at two o'clock, two lanterns 
were seen to rise slowly to the mizzen peak of the Hart- 



THE ADVANCE. 6T 

ford. The hour of action had come, and quickly the 
boatswain's shrill call rung over the water, " Up all ham- 
mocks," and the drums beat to quarters. 

In a moment that quiet scene was changed to one of 
intense activity and bustle. The rattling of chains, the 
"yo heave ho" at the anchors, and quick, stern com- 
mands of the officers, and slow revolving of wheels, and 
answering signal-lights sparkling through the gloom, sent 
the blood with a quicker flow through every heart. The 
surrounding darkness imparted a mystery to these sounds 
of preparation, and added a deeper interest to the scene. 
In one hour everything was ready, and the low, black 
masses were moving steadily up towards the slumbering 
forts. 

The attack was to be made in two columns. The right, 
led by Captain Bailey in the Cayuga, was composed of 
the Pensacola, Mississippi, Oneida, Varuna, Katahdin, 
Kineo, and Wissahickon; the left, led by Farragut in 
the Hartford, of the Brooklyn, Richmond, Sciota, Iro- 
quois, Kennebec, Pinola, Itasca, and Winona. The 
latter was to engage Fort Jackson, and the former 
St. Philip. Porter, with the Plarriet Lane, Westfield, 
Owasco, Miami, Clifton, and Jackson, was to take up a 
position where he could pour iu an enfilading fire while 
the fleet was passing the forts. 

The enemy was on the look-out, and the vessels had 
scarcely got under way when signal-lights flashed along 
the batteries, and then a belt of fire gleamed through the 
darlmess, and the next moment the heavy shot came 
shrieking along the bosom of the stream. All eyes were 
now turned on the Hartford, as she silently steamed on 
— the signal " close action" blazing from her rigging. In 
the mean time the mortar-boats belov/ opened their fire, 



68 ADMIEAL DAVID GLASCOE FAEEAGUT. 

and the hissing shells rose in graceful curves, and, Aveaving 
an arch of fiery network over the advancing fleet, 
dropped mth a thunderous sound into the forts above. 
In a few minutes the advanced vessels opened, firing at 
the flash from the forts. The white smoke rolled and 
heaved in vast volumes along the shuddermg waters, and 
one of the wildest scenes in the history of war now com- 
menced. The fleet, with full steam on, was soon abreast 
of the forts, and its rapid broadsides mingling in with 
the deafening explosions on shore, turned night into fiery 
day. Louder than redoubled thunders the heavy guns 
sent their deafening roar through the gloom, not in dis- 
tinct explosions, but in one long, wild, protracted crash, 
as thouo;h the ribs of nature were breakinsj in final con- 
vulsion. Amid this hell of terrors, a fire-raft, pushed 
steadily forward by the ram Manassas, loomed through 
the smoke like a phantom from the unseen world. As 
if steered by adverse fate, it bore straight down on the 
Hartford. Farragut sheered off to avoid the collision, 
and in so domg ran aground, when the fire-ship came 
full against him. In a moment the hungry flames leaped 
up the rigging and darted along the smoking sides of 
the Hartford. It seemed all up with the gallant Farra- 
gut, and but for that stern discipline he always maintains, 
his fate would have been sealed. There was no panic on 
board at this awful catastrophe — every man Avas in his 
place, and in a moment the hose was manned and a 
stream of water turned on the flames. The powerful 
engines were reversed, and soon forced the vessel oft" into 
deep water, though all aflame. The firemen, cool and 
collected, plied their hose, while the gunners still stood 
to their guns, and poured in their broadsides, and still 
the signal, " close action," flamed above the staggering 



THE FORTS PASSED. 69 

ship. The fire was at length got under, and Farragut 
agam moved at the head of his column. And now came 
down the rebel fleet of thirteen gunboats and two iron- 
clad rams to mingle in the combat. Broadside to broad- 
side, hull crashing against hull, it became at once a 
gladiatorial combat of ships. The Varuna, Captain 
Boggs, sent five to the bottom one after another ; and, 
finally overcome by her unparalleled exertions, the noble 
boat went down to join her adversaries beneath the 
turbid MississijDpi. 

Farragut at last found himself past all the forts, with 
thirteen out of the seventeen vessels of the fleet. The 
Itasca, Winona, and Kennebec were so terribly cut up 
that they had to turn back, and floated in a crippled 
condition doAvn the river. The Kineo was accidentally 
run into by the Brooklyn, and badly stove — receiving 
besides twelve shots in her hull ; yet she gallantly fought 
her way through. The Hartford, Cayuga, and Varuna 
encountered the greatest apparent dangers ; yet everj^- 
vessel, especially the Brooklyn, humanly speaking, 
ought to have been lost, for never before were such frail 
boats exposed to such a terrible fire and lived. The 
several commanders were worthy to fight under such a 
glorious leader, and carried their ships forward with a 
steadiness and nerve that have covered their names with 
imperishable renown. 

When the sun struggled up through the morning mist, 
he looked down on a scene never to be forgotten while 
naval deeds are honored by the nation. There lay the 
forts with the rebel flags still flying. But their doom 
was sealed. And there, too, driven ashore or ^vrecked 
or captured, were thirteen of the enemy's gunboats out 



70 ADMIEAL DAVID GLASCOE FAERAGUT. 

of the seventeen lie had brought do^Ti to assist the forts 
m demolishing our fleet. 

Our total loss in this unparalleled combat Avas one 
hundred and seventy-one. 

Farragut now steamed up the river towards New 
Orleans, having first dispatched Captain Boggs in an 
open boat, through a bayou inlet, to announce to Porter 
his success. In his letter to the latter he says, v/ith a 
sang f void and brevity that provoke a smile : " We have 
had a rough time of it, as Boggs will tell you ; " and 
then adds, that as soon as he has captured New Orleans 
he will return and finish the forts. As he passed up, he 
heard cannonading ahead, for Bailey in advance had 
come upon powerful batteries at English Town, and was 
getting severely handled. But the Hartford coming to 
his rescue, they were soon finished. 

The way these were disposed of cannot be given 
better than in Farraguf s own language : " They permitted 
us to approach within a mile and a quarter before they 
opened on us. Captain Bailey, in the Cayuga, Lieuten- 
ant-Commander Harrison, was in advance of me, and 
received the most of the first fire ; but, although the shoot- 
ing was good, they did not damage his little vessel much. 
He fell back, and the Hartford took her place. We had 
only two guns, which I had placed on the top-gallant 
forecastle, that could bear on them, until we got Vv^ithin 
half a mile. We then sheered off, and gave them such 
a fire 'as they never dreamed of in their philosophy.' 
The Pensacola ran up after a vfhile, and took the star- 
board battery off our hands ; and in a few moments the 
Brooklyn ranged and took a chance at my friends on the 
left bank. They were silenced in, I should say, tv/enty 
minutes or half an hour. But I cannot keep a note of 



MAYOR MUNEOE. Yl 

time on such occasions. I only know that half of the 
vessels did not get a chance at them. The river was too 
narrow for more than two or three vessels to act to ad- 
vantage ; but all were so anxious, that my greatest fear 
was that we should fire into each other ; and Captain 
Wainwright and myself were hallooing ourselves hoarse 
at the men not to fire into our ships. This last aiFair," 
he says, " was what I call one of the little elegances oi 
the profession — a dash and a victory." But in speaking 
of the passage of the forts, in the same letter, he says : 
" It was one of the most awful sights and events I ever 
saw or experienced. The smoke was so dense that it was 
only now and then you could see anything but the flash 
of the cannon and the fire-ships and rafts." 

New Orleans was now at his mercy, and Lovell, com- 
manding the rebel troops in the city, took himself off and 
left it once more under the control of the mayor, Monroe 
From him Farragut, through Captain Bailey, demanded 
the surrender of the city, and that the national flag be 
hoisted by noon on the City Hall, Mint, and Custom 
House, which were the property of the United States. To 
tliis summons the Mayor sent a long, windy, ridiculous an- 
swer. In regard to the raising of the flags, he said: "As 
to the hoisting any flag other than the flag of our adoption 
and allegiance, let me say to you that the man lives not in 
our midst whose hand and heart would not be paralyzed 
at the "tnere thought of such an act ; nor could I find in 
my entire constituency so wretched and desperate a rene- 
gade as would dare to profane with his hand the sacred 
emblem of our aspirations.'" He then goes on to com- 
pliment Farragut as much as he could concerning his 
"noble but deluded nature," and winds up with an aj> 
peal to be very careful of the feelings of his gallant con- 



72 ADJnRAL DAVID GLASCOE FAEEAGUT. 

stituejncy, assuming an air of superiority and injured in- 
nocence that entitle him to a preeminence among all con- 
quered rulers of cities. To this piece of fustian and 
rhodomantade Farragut returned the following quiet, 
brief reply: 

United States Flag-Ship Hartpobd, ) 
Off the City of New Orleans, April 26. ) 

To his Honor the Mayor of New Orleans : 

Your Honor will please give directions that no flag but that of the United 
States -will be permitted to fly in the presence of this fleet so long as it has 
the power to prevent it ; and as all displays of that kind may be the cause of 
bloodshed, I have to request that you will give this communication as general 
a circulation as possible. 

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, 

Your obedient servant, 

D. G. FAKRAGUT. 

No bluster in this, but a very plain hint, that his hon- 
or, pompous and inflated as he is, may easily understand. 
'' No flag but the stars and stripes will kiss the air in my 
sight while my guns, shotted and ready, bear on your 
city." Stern and inflexible in the discharge of his duty, 
yet humble and meek before his Creator, he, on the same 
day on which this curt message was sent to the mayor, 
issued the foUo^ving order : 

United States Flag-Ship Hartford, ) 
Off the City of New Orleans, April 26, 18G2. ) 

General Oedee : 

Eleven o'clock this morning is the hour appointed for all the officers and 
crews of the fleet to return thanks to Almighty God for His great goodness 
and mercy in permitting us to pass through the events of the last two days 
with so little loss of life and blood. At that hour the church pennant will be 
hoisted on every vessel of the fleet, and their crews assembled will, in humili- 
ation and prayer, make their acknowledgments therefor to the Great Dis- 
penser of all human events. 

D. G. FARRAGUT, 
Flag- Officer Western Gulf Blochading Squadron. 



ESrSULT TO TIIE FLAG. 73 

Although he had refused to confer further with the 
impudent Mayor, he ordered Captain Morris to hoist 
the flag on the Mint. The latter sent a party on 
shore, and soon the old flag swung once more to the 
breeze in sight of the enraged population. The officer in 
charge warned the spectators that the guns of the Pen- 
sacola would open fire on the building if any one attempt- 
ed to haul it down. Leaving no guard to protect it, he 
returned to the ship and directed the howitzers in the 
maintop to be loaded with grape and trained on it. 

At eleven o'clock, in accordance with the order given 
above, the crews Avere all assembled on deck for prayers, 
and only one look-out left in the maintop to watch the 
flag. The solemn service had been progressing perhaps 
twenty minutes when the deep silence was broken by the 
discharge of the howitzers overhead. It at once aroused 
every man from his devotions, and as all eyes turned 
towards the Mint they saw four men on the roof of the 
building tearing down the flag. In an instant the gun- 
ners, without waiting for orders, sprang to the guns and 
pulled the strings. The next moment a whole broad- 
side was expected to pour into the city ; but not a gun went 
off. As it looked like ram, the gunners had removed the 
" wafers " by which they were discharged, before the 
service commenced, so that only the click of the locks 
was heard. But for this, fearful destruction would have 
ensued. 

Farragut also had trouble with Clouet, the commander 
of a French man-of-war, who, choosing to consider the 
order of the former as threatening the city with immedi- 
ate bombardment, had protested indignantly against it. 

Wearied out with the ridiculous proceedings all 
round, he gladly turned over the city to Butler, and 



74 ADMIEAL DAVID GLASCOE FAEEAGUT. 

advanced up the river with his fleet. He sent Cap- 
tain Palmer ahead to demand the surrender of Baton 
Rouge, and, while the correspondence with the Mayor 
was o-oino- on, arrived himself and took possession. He 
then directed the Captain to proceed to Natchez and 
seize it, while S. P. Lee. continued on to Vicksburg and 
demanded its surrender. To this the military governor, 
Antry, replied that Mississippians did not know how to 
surrender, and if Farragut could teach them, to come on 
and try. 

After a somewhat spicy correspondence with Lovell, 
with regard his to taking vengeance on the inhabitants of 
a place near which the latter chose to place guns to fire 
into our passing vessels, Farragut proceeded to test the 
batteries of Vicksburg. Porter was ordered up with his 
mortar flotilla to shell out the heights, and at two o'clock 
on the 28th of June the signal to weigh anchor was given, 
and with the Iroquois (Roland commanding), the Oneida 
(S. P. Lee), the Richmond (James Alden), and Sciota, 
Pinola, and Winona, slowly steamed up into the fire of 
the batteries. 

The rebel guns opened on the fleet, the shot apparently 
being directed principally on the flag-ship. As the Hart- 
ford slowly approached, moving only fast enough to give 
steerage vv^ay, she opened a fearful fire from her starboard 
battery. She was so near that the gunners on shore could 
be plainly seen working their guns and waving their hats 
in defiance. Farragut, with his accustomed audacity, 
mounted to the mizen rigging to direct the movements ; 
but his life there was not worth a farthing, for the enemy 
fired too hio-h, and hence their concentrated storm of shot 
and shell tore through the rigging of the vessel, shrieking 
in a perfect hurricane around him. He therefore de- 



PASSnfG THE BATTEEIES. 75 

scended to the deck, and not two minutes after, the rigging 
where he had been standing was torn into shreds. Had 
he remained a little longer, he undoubtedly would have 
fallen a dead or wounded man on the deck below. 

For two hours he lay broadside to the batteries, pour- 
ing in an incessant fire, when, finding that he could not bring 
his guns to bear any longer, he put on steam and shot past, 
up the river. He had been struck by a splinter, which, 
however, only made a bruise. The Richmond, Oneida, 
Pinola, Sciota, ran the batteries with him. Captain 
Craven, of the Brooklyn, had received orders not to leave 
any batteries behind him without silencing them, and after 
sustaining the same fire for tv/o hours, dropped down the 
river, remaining with the Kennebeck, Katahdin, and 
Porter mortar fleet. The loss on those which succeeded 
in passing the batteries was forty-five. 

Farragut now sent dispatches to Captain Davis, com- 
manding the squadron of the Upper Mississippi, and 
Halleck, asking their cooperation in the movements 
against Vicksburg. In the mean time, he wrote to the 
Government, that, though he might be able to silence the 
batteries of Vicksburg, and could go up and down when 
he chose, yet the place could not be captured without the 
aid of ten or twelve thousand men to approach it from 
the rear. The bombardment, however, was kept up, 
though with but little effect. 

About the middle of July, Farragut again steamed 
past the batteries, and anchored below with the rest of his 
fleet. The next month he fulfilled his threat against 
Donaldsonville, unless the inhabitants ceased the prac- 
tice of firing on his vessels as they passed up and down 
the river, and opened his guns on the place and nearly de- 
stroyed it. 



'76 ADMIRAL DAVID GLASCOE FAERAGUT. 

He also dispatched a part of his force to take Gal- 
veston, Corpus Christi, and Sabine City. Commander 
W. B. Kenshaw captured the former, and G. W. Kittredge 
seized Corj^us Christi, and Acting-master F. Crocker Sa- 
bine Pass. Lieut. -commander Thos. McKean Buchanan 
was also dispatched to the Southwest Pass ; and up the 
Teche he had a sharp engagement with rebel batteries, 
and the rebel gunboat Cotton. 

The next month we find Farragut again down the 
river, in front of Baton Bouge — a part of his fleet assist- 
in 2; in the eng;a2;ement on land, in which the o;allant Gen- 
eral Williams fell in the very moment of victory. 

His career during the rest of the season was dis- 
tinguished chiefly for hard work, without any great battles. 
Among the incidents illustrative of his character that 
abound on the Mississippi, is one which showed his 
sang froid. In order to show how impervious iron- 
clads could be made against the heaviest shot, he was 
asked one time to accompany the Benton, the strongest 
boat in Davis''s fleet, in a reconnoissance of a new battery 
that had been erected near Vicksburg, He did so ; but 
the vessel had been but a short time under the fire of the 
battery, when a heavy shot crashed through the mailed 
sides, and, striking a person beside him, tore him to frag- 
ments, throwmg the blood and clotted flesh over his 
own person. Gazing a moment at the frightful spec- 
tacle, he coolly turned to the officer beside him and said : 
" I am not going to stay here ; I am going on deck." 
It seemed a curious place to go for safety ; but the anec- 
dote throws a world of light on the character of the man. 
When the storm raged fiercest, and shot and shell fell 
thickest on the vessel, he wished to stand on her exposed 
deck. 



PASSAGE OF PORT HUDSON. 77 

But the next year, iii the very month (April) in which 
he passed the batteries of forts Philip and Jackson, he 
ao-ain showed what wooden vessels could do ao-ainst for- 
midable shore batteries. Grant was working his slow, 
toilsome way towards Vicksburg, and Farragut was 
ordered up to cooperate with him. But since he was 
there the year before, the rebels, owing to the stupidity of 
the War Department, which, in the face of Porters 
earnest representations, refused to occupy Port Hudson, 
had erected formidable works, which were more difficult 
to pass than the batteries at Vicksburg. 

With the flag-ship Hartford, accompanied by the Rich- 
mond, armed with twenty-six eight and nine-inch Colum- 
biads, the Mississippi, with twenty-one, the Monongahela 
with sixteen heavy guns, and the gunboats Kineo, Al- 
batross, Sachem, and Gennessee, carrying each three 
Columbiads and two rifled 32-pounders (all screw pro- 
pellers except the Mississippi), he, on the morning of the 
14th of April, anchored below the place. Here the pre- 
parations were all completed, and as Farragut determined 
to run the terrible gauntlet in the night, and hence could 
have no lights aboard the vessels, the decks, gun-carriages 
and nettings were whitewashed, so that the gunners could 
distinguish enough to work their pieces. The next morn- 
ing he reached Prophet's Island, in full view of the rebel 
batteries. Four mortar-boats were anchored some three 
miles distant, to throw shells into the hostile works. At 
one o'clock these opened fire, and all the afternoon the 
blazing shells swept in long curves over the stream and 
dropped amid the hostile guns. They seemed, however, 
to produce but little effect. A small land force had been 
sent to the rear of the garrison to distract their attention ; 
for Farragut, notwithstanding his former success, saw 



T8 ADMIRAL DAVID GLASCOE FARRAGUT. 

clearly enough that his vessels were to be put to a severer 
test than ever before. 

That night, when all was ready, the Hartford ran up 
a red light — the signal to weigh anchor — and the little 
fleet moved cautiously up the stream. The Hartford, 
with the Albatross lashed to her side, led the van, fol- 
lowed by the Richmond with the Gennessee, and the 
Monongahela with the Kineo. The Mississippi and Sa- 
chem came last. The rebel batteries extended for nearly 
four miles along the banks, tier above tier. The ex- 
perience of the past year had not been lost on the eneni)^, 
and they had fortified the place so that it was thought 
impossible for boats to get past it. Made perfectly aware 
by their men on watch of the movements of Farragut, 
the latter had scarcely started, when signal-lights flashed 
from battery to battery, and then a blaze leaped up on the 
shore from a pile of combustibles gathered for the pur- 
pose, which soon swelled to a conflagration that made the 
whole bosom of the stream in front, light as day. Not- 
withstanding all his precaution, it was plain that Farragut 
would have light enough on his awful passage. When 
the silent, dark vessels entered this illuminated space, the 
fire of the rebel batteries was awful beyond conception. 
The vessels at once poured in their starboard broadsides, 
as rapidly as the guns could be loaded and fired. There 
was but little air stirrins;. The huo;e volumes of smoke, 
rolling out in fierce contortions over the ruddy bosom of 
the stream, added indescribably to the terror of the com- 
bat, while above it the shells rose and fell incessantly, 
with shrieks that ribbed the continuous thunder-peal be- 
low with a strange, unearthly sound. The immense 
volumes of smoke soon wrapped river and shore in im- 
penetrable darkness, rent only by the solid sheets of fire 



A DESPEEATE STRUGGLE. 79 

that burst through. Amid this terrific uproar there arose 
from the water the despairing cry of " Help ! oh, help ! " 
from a drowning man who had fallen overboard. But 
amid this wild hurricane of death no help could be given, 
and the cry grew fainter and fainter, as the poor fellow was 
borne down by the swift current, till it was lost in the 
distance. The river was narrow at this point, and soon 
the ships, in the smoke and darkness, could not see each 
other, and again and again barely escaped firing a broad- 
side into each other. The shouts of the ofiicers rose over 
the din, and the whole scene became one of complete be- 
wilderment ; yet the brave ships struggled on, stemming 
the mighty current, in the stern endeavor to pass this 
gateway of hell. An officer stood on the prow of each 
vessel, striving to pierce the gloom, while a line of men 
stretched from him to the stern, to transmit orders ; for if 
she should run aground in the darkness, her doom 
was sealed. For an hour and a half this fearful nightly 
combat lasted, before the Hartford, with the Albatross 
lashed to her side, succeeded in passing beyond the bat- 
teries. Farragut now turned his eye down stream, to see 
what had become of the rest of his fleet ; but not a vessel 
greeted his eye, except, through the intervening darkness, 
now and then a black hull would start out amid the gushes 
of flame, that, like a blaze of lightning, illuminated the 
river, showing that they were still struggling below. Tlie 
Hichmond came next to him, but a shell had entered her 
starboard port, bursting inside with a terrific explosion 
that almost lifted the strong ship from the water. Soon 
after a storm of shot burst through her bulwarks, sending 
everything to ^vreck in its passage. Lieut. -Commander 
Cummings, with speaking trumpet in hand, was shouting 
out over the uproar to his crew at the time, and by his 



80 ADMIEAL DAVID GLASCOE FAEEAGUT. 

side stood Captain Alden, and both fell at once to the 
deck — the former with his left leg torn off just below the 
knee. As they bore him away, he said : " Put a tourni- 
quet on my leg, boys. Send my letters to my wife, and 
tell her I fell m doing my duty." As the surgeon took 
off the shattered limb, he said, " I would willingly give 
my other leg, if we could but pass those batteries." The 
vessel struggled on amid flame and smoke, and succeeded 
in passing the most powerful batteries, when a shot en- 
tered her steam-chest, which so disabled her that she 
began to drift helplessly down stream. Just then a tor- 
pedo burst under her stern, with a force that made all her 
timbers quiver. The Gennessee, which was alongside, now 
took her in tow, and steamed rapidly do^vn stream. The 
Monongahela, with the Kineo, that came next, fared but 
little better. Her commander (McKinstry) fell early in 
the battle, and the command devolved on Lieutenant 
Thomas. In the smoke and darkness, she lost the chan- 
nel, and suddenly found herself aground directly under 
the fire of a heavy battery, where she lay for nearly a 
half an hour, riddled and torn by shot and shell. At 
length she succeeded in backing off, and once more boldly 
turned her prow up stream, and began to stem the rapid 
current. But the tremendous fire to which she had been 
so long exposed had disabled her machinery, and it was 
soon evident that the o-allant strug-o-le was in vain, and 
she too dropped down to the mortar fleet at Prophet's 
Island. Last of all came the noble Mississippi, with a 
crew of three hundred aboard, sweeping proudly over the 
waters whose name she bore, with the Selma lashed to her 
larboard side, to assist her in case her machinery gave way. 
She got opposite the town, and, feeling that her greatest 
danger was over, put on steam and shot swiftly ahead 



BURNING OF THE inSSISSIPPI. 81 

The next moment she struck bottom near the western 
shore, having lost her course m the darkness. There she 
lay, a moveless target. The enemy saw her, and imme- 
diately concentrated an awful fire upon her. Captain 
Smith ordered the gunners to keep up their fire, and her 
broadsides exploded so rapidly that one could scarcely 
count the reports, and in the mean time he put forth 
every effort to get the vessel afloat. Her decks were soon 
slippery with blood, and the dead and wounded lay 
strewn around like autumn leaves. The ship, however, 
under her great headway, had buried herself so deep in 
the mud that she could not be forced off, and Smith re- 
solved to destroy her. Amid the raining shot, com- 
bustibles were piled fore and aft, to be fired as soon as the 
crew had taken to the boats. By some mistake the torch 
was applied forward before the order was given, and while 
the crew still crowded the deck. A panic followed, and 
some flung themselves overboard, many of whom were 
dro"\vned. Captain Smith, however, coolly liglited his 
segar, and quietly, but rapidly, hurried the men ashore ; 
and then, spiking the guns — many of them with his own 
hand — he, with Lieutenant Dewey and Engineers Boek- 
elder and Tower, who had stood by him to share his fate, 
left the vessel, and stepped on board the iron-clad Essex, 
which had come to his assistance, commanded by Captain 
Caldwell, and amid the tempest of shot and shell that 
incessantly swept both vessels, removed all the sick and 
wounded, and dropped do^vn stream. As the light of the 
burning vessel arose on the midnight air, the enemy on 
shore sent up frantic yells of delight. The next moment 
two shells burst in the abandoned ship, scattering several 
casks of turpentine amid the blazing combustibles. A 
torrent of fire immediately rolled over the vessel, which, 



82 ADMIRAL DAVID GLASCOE FAREAGUT. 

lightened by the removal of her crew and the action of the 
flames, now slowly floated ofl" ; and her bow, catching the 
downward current, swung heavily down stream, bringing 
her other broadside to bear, which had not yet been used. 
The guns, heated by the fire, soon began to go off, one 
after another, as though fired by an invisible hand. The 
flag was still floating above the flaming ruin, and the 
grand old vessel, as if conscious that the country's honor 
was committed to her keeping, swept steadily down 
stream, flaunting her colors in the face of the foe, and in 
her death-struggles still thundering on the hostile batteries. 
It was a wild and grand spectacle that she presented, as, 
erect amid the roaring flames — not wildly swaying with the 
current, but moving steadily, as though steered by an un- 
seen hand, with her flag still flying and her guns roaring 
— she passed proudly and all alone, out of the desolating 
fire. Still drifting with the current, she swept on till 
Prophet's Island concealed her form. Then there sud- 
denly arose a pyramid of fire and smoke, lighting up the 
shores like a conflagration, followed by an earthquake 
sound. The fire had reached her magazine, and in one 
loud explosion the proud vessel, which had so long braved 
the seas, went to the bottom, carrying her flag with her. 
Of about three hundred that composed her crew, sixty- 
five, or nearly a quarter, were killed, Avounded, or taken 
prisoners. Seventy, who reached the western shore, made 
their way through the woods and swamps, and finally 
reached the ships below. 

Farragut, with the Albatross, was now above the place, 
but all alone. His fleet was cut off" from him. He had 
not only been lucky in getting safely through, but his ves- 
sel had been handled with consummate skill; for it was 
necessary to strike the rapid current running almost at 



FAULT-FIKDmG. 83 

right angles to his course, as he passed the point, so as to 
keep his bows from being swept around, and the vessel 
borne back down the stream under the batteries. In the 
darkness, this was a very difficult matter. 

Though he had not succeeded in getting the vessels he 
needed above the place, he at once began to bombard it, 
while the fleet attacked it from below. 

In the subsequent siege of the place by Banks, Farra- 
gut did good service, inflicting severe injury on the rebel 
batteries. 

While at Port Hudson he heard, in the latter part of 
June, that Donaldsonville was about to be attacked by the 
rebels, and moved down before it, and on the day of 
attack opened such a flanking fire on the enemy that he 
was obliged to withdraw, although the storming party had 
already got inside. He also bombarded Grand Gulf. 

Much impatience was exhibited East at the slowness 
with which operations went on around Vicksburg. Far- 
ragut was blamed by a portion of the press. Among 
other papers which showed dissatisfaction with his course 
was the Journal of Com7nerce. This one he took notice 
of in a letter to the Secretary of the Navy, saying that 
he did so because he heard that the information of the 
writer was obtained from the War Department. 

His duties on the waters of the Mississippi and coast of 
Texas, the blockading of which was under his charge, were 
not of the kind most congenial to his tastes, for a gi*eat part 
of the time he was compelled to keep his squadron scattered 
on every side. Guerrillas had to be attacked in one place, 
an aimoying little battery silenced in another, streams and 
channels opened to our forces, or shut to blockade run- 
ners, and rebel property destroyed where it was of use to 
the Confederate government — making those duties varied 



84 ADMIEAL DAVID GLASCOE FAETIAGTTT 

and harrassing. Here and there, too, losses were sus- 
tained which he had no means of preventing, as most of 
the work had to be done by subordinates that, from the 
peculiar circumstances in which they were placed, had to 
act without specific orders. 

Hence it was with satisfaction that he heard he was to 
to be removed from this sort of guerrilla warfare on the 
water, and once more hoist "his pennant on the deep. The 
strongholds on the Mississippi having fallen, the Govern- 
ment next turned its attention to Mobile. It was decided 
that a land and naval force combined should operate 
against it — the former under Generals Canby and Granger, 
and the latter under Farragut. In January, 1864, he 
sailed for Mobile Bay to make a reconnoissance of the forts 
and batteries, and vessels commanding its entrance, for 
the purpose of obtaining an accurate knowledge of their 
strength. Morgan and Gaines were the chief forts bar- 
ring it, and he gives the following as the results of his 
investigations : 



On the morning of the 20th instant I made a reconnoissance of Forts 
Morgan and Gaines. I went in over the bar in the gunboat Octorara, Lieu- 
tenant Commander Lowe, taking the Itasca in company as a precaution 
against accident. We passed up to Land Island, and laid abreast of the 
light-house on it. The day was uncommonly fine and the air very clear. 
We were distant from the forts three (3) and three and a half (3^) miles, 
and could see everything distinctly, so that it was easy to verify the state- 
ments of the refugee Mcintosh, in respect to the number of guns visible on 
the bastions of the fort. I could count the guns and the men who stood by 
them; could see the piles that had been driven across from Fort Gaines to 
the channel opposite Fort Morgan — the object of which is to force the ships 
to keep as close as possible to the latter. There were no vessels in the bay 
except one transport steamer. ^ 

I am satisfied that if I had one iron-clad at this time, I could destroy . 
their whole force in the bay, and reduce the forts at my leisure, by cooper- 
ation with our land forces — say five thousand men. We must have about 
two thousand and five hundred men in the rear of each fort, to make regular 



MOBILE BAY. 85 

approaches by laud, and to prevent the garrison's receiving supplies and re- 
inforcements ; the fleet to run the batteries, and fight the flotilla in the bay. 
But without iron-clads, we should not be able to fight the enemy's vessels of 
that class with much prospect of success, as the latter would lie on the flats 
where our ships could not go to destroy them. "Wooden vessels can do noth- 
ing with them unless by getting within one or two hundred yards, so as to 
ram them or pour in a broadside. 

I am told by Mr. Shock, the first engineer, that two of the iron-clads 
now being constructed at St. Louis are finished, and that three or four ouo-ht 
to be by this time. If I could get these, I would attack them at once. 

There was a very full and elaborate description of the 
rebel works in and about Mobile bay and harbor furnished 
by a mechanic from New Hampshire who was employed in 
the South when the rebellion broke out, and who took work 
at his trade at Mobile on half-pay to escape conscription. 
Taking advantage of a furlough granted him that he might 
visit his father in Alabama or Florida, he escaped to Pen- 
sacola, and at this time was on board the Octorara. Ac- 
cording to his statement Fort Morgan mounted some thirty 
guns in all — a portion of them carrying an enormous 
weight of metal — and Fort Gaines twenty-one. There 
were also three steamers and four rams inside, waiting; to 
receive any vessels that might succeed in passing the forts. 
Batteries also lined the shore, and torpedoes paved the 
bed of the channel. That Farragut thought "with one 
iron-clad he could destroy all the force in the bay" shoAvs 
a daring and consciousness of power that would be alarm- 
ing in any one but a commander who was not born to be 
beaten. 

The latter part of next month (February), he shelled 
Fort Powell on Shell Island in Grant's Pass for a week, 
but made but little impression on it, as he could not, on 
account of the shallowness of the water, get his vessels 
nearer than 4000 yards. The powerful rebel ram Tennes- 
see liad not at this time got over Dog Piver Bar into the 



86 ADMEAL DAVID GLASCOE FAREAGUT. 

harbor, and Farragut wished to make his attack before she 
did. 

On the 1st of March he again bombarded Fort Powell, 
and in an hour and a half silenced it. During the day, 
however, to his great surprise, he saw the Tennessee steam 
slowly up opposite Grant's Pass, where his squadron lay. 
He now wrote to the Department that it would be "much 
more difficu.lt to take Mobile with wooden vessels than it 
would have been a week ago."" 

A month later he says : 

I fully understand and appreciate my situation. The experience I had 
of the fight between the Arkansas and Admiral Davis's vessels on the Missis- 
sippi, shovred plainly how unequal the contest is between irou-clads and 
wooden vessels in loss of life, unless you succeed in destroying the iron-clad. 
I therefore deeply regret that the Department has not been able to give us 
OSTE of the many iron-clads that are off Charleston and on the Mississippi. 
I have always looked for the latter, but it appears that it takes us twice as 
long to build an iron-clad as any one else. It looks as if the contractors and 
the fates were against us. While the rebels are bending their whole ener- 
gies to the war, our people are expecting the war to close by default : and if 
they do not awaken to a sense of their danger soon, it will be so. 

But be assured, sir, that the navy will do its duty, let the issue come when 
it may, or I am greatly deceived. 

I think you have many ready and willing to make any sacrifice their coun- 
try can require of them. 

All I ask of them is to do their whole duty ; the result belongs to God. 

A few weeks subsequent to this he says : 

My mail from New Orleans this morning is very discouraging. Our 
army is not only falling back to that most demoralizing of places, New Or- 
leans, but I am informed by Lieutenant-Commander Cook, at Matagorda, 
that General Banks has ordered Matagorda to be abandoned, and the forts 
and earthworks to be destroyed. The general is in New Orleans ; the army 
said to be at Morganzia, just above Port Hudson, on the western shore. 

I ran in shore yesterday, and took a good look at the iron-clad Tennessee. 
She flies the blue flag of Admiral Buchanan. She has four ports of a side, 
out of which she fights, I understand from the refugees, four 7-inch Brooks 
rifles, and two 19-inch columbiads. She has a torpedo fixture on the bow. 
Their four iron-clads and three wooden gunboats make quite a formidable 
appearance. 



PEEPAEATIONS FOR ATTACK. 87 

*** * * **** 

The Department has not yet responded to my call for the iron-clads in the 
Mississippi, which I was led to believe were intended for this squadron, 

I am placing heavy iron cutters on the bows of my vessels, and shall also 
have torpedoes to place me on an equality with my enemy, if he comes out- 
side. No doubt he will have the advantage of me inside, as they are plant- 
ing them every day ; we can see them distinctly when at work. 

Torpedoes are not so agreeable when used on both sides ; therefore I have 
reluctantly brought myself to it, and have always deemed it unworthy of 
a chivalrous nation ; but it does not do to give your enemy such a decided 
superiority over you. 

Thus the winter and spring wore away, and mid-sum- 
mer came before the preparations were completed for the 
contemplated attack. Farragut was at length informed 
that the iron-clad Tecumseh had arrived at Pensacola. 
There she was detained for want of coal, and had it not 
been for Captain Jenkins, of the Richmond, Craven said 
on his arrival, "God knows when I should have got 
here." He worked incessantly to carry out Farragut's 
wishes, and the latter said of him, " He carries out the 
spirit of one of Lord Collingwood's best sayings, ' Not to 
be afraid of doing too much ; those who are, seldom do as 
much as they ought.'" 

On the 8 th of July he had an interview with General 
Canby, and it was finally agreed that the latter should first 
invest Fort Gaines with the army ; and the troops were 
landed for that purpose, and began to throw up works. 
He, in the mean time, had issued the following order: 

Strip your vessels and prepare for the conflict. Send down all your 
superfluous spars and rigging. Trice up or remove the whiskers. Put up 
the splinter-nets on the starboard side, and barricade the wheel and steers- 
men with sails and hammocks. Lay chains or sand-bags on the decks over 
the machinery, to resist a plunging fire. Hang the sheet-chains over the 
side, or make any other arrangement for security that your ingenuity may 
suggest. Land your starboard boats, or lower and tow them to the port 
side, and lower the port boats down to the water's edge. Place a leadsman 
and the pilot in the port-quarter boat, or the one most convenient to the 
commander. 



88 ADMIEAL DAVID GLASCOE FAREAGUT. 

The vessels will run past the forts rt couples, lashed side by side, as here- 
inafter designated. The flag-ship wiU lead, and steer from Sand Island N". 
by E. by compass, until abreast of Fort Morgan ; then N.W. half N., until 
past the Middle Ground ; then JST, by W. ; and the others, as designated in 
the drawing, will follow in due order, until ordered to anchor; but the bow 
and quarter line must be preserved, to give the chase-guns a fair range ; and 
each vessel must be kept astern of the broadside of the next ahead. Each 
vessel will keep a very little on the starboard quarter of his next ahead, and 
when abreast of the fort will keep directly astern, and as we pass the fort 
will take the same distance on the port-quarter of the next ahead, to enable 
the stern guns to fire clear of the next vessel astern. 

It will be the object of the admiral to get as close to the fort as possible 
before opening fire ; the ships, however, will open fire the moment the enemy 
opens upon us, with their chase and other guns, as fast as they can be brought 
to bear. Use short fuses for the shell and shrapnell, and as soon as within 
three or four hundred yards, give the grape. It is understood that hereto- 
fore we have fired too high ; but with grape-shot it is necessary to elevate a 
little above the object, as grape will dribble from the muzzle of the gun. 
If one or more of the vessels be disabled, their partners must carry them 
through, if possible ; but if they cannot, then the next astern must render 
the required assistance ; but as the admiral contemplates moving with the flood- 
tide, it will only require suflScient power to keep the crippled vessels in the 
channel. 

Vessels that can, must place guns upon the poop and topgallant forecastle, 
and in the tops on the starboard side. Should the enemy fire grape, they 
wiU remove the men from the topgallant forecastle and poop to the guns be- 
low, out of grape range. 

The howitzers must keep up a constant fire from the time they can reach 
with shrapnell until out of its range. 

D. G. FARRAGUT, 
Eear-Admiral, Commanding W. G. B. Squadron. 

The preparations having been completed, the signal was 
hoisted at daylight, August 5th, to weigh anchor and get 
under way. The wooden vessels were lashed in the fol- 
lowing order: The Brookljm, Captain James Alden, 
commander, led the fleet with the Octorara, Lieutenant- 
Commander C. H. Greene, on the port side. Next came 
the flag-ship Hartford, Captain Percival Drayton, with the 
Metacomet, Lieutenant-Commander J. E. Jewett; the 
Richmond, Captain T. A. Jenkins, with the Port Royal, 



THE ADVANCE. Oy 

Lieutenant-Commander B. Gheradi ; the Lackawana, 
Captain G. B. Marchand, with the Seminole, Commander 
E. Donaldson; the Monongahela, Commander F. H. 
Strong, with the Kennebec, Lieutenant-Commander W. 
P. McCann; the Ossipee, Commander W. E. LeRoy, 
-with the Itasca, Lieutenant- Commander George Brown ; 
and the Oneida, Commander E,. M. Mullany, with the 
Galena, Lieutenant- Commander C. H. "Wells, completed 
the line. 

It was a novel position for Farragut to find himself 
in — foUowino; instead of leadino; — and one which he took 
very reluctantly, and only at the earnest solicitations of the 
officers, who said that the Brooklyn, having four chase 
guns to the Hartford's one, and also an ingenious machine 
for picking up torpedoes, with which they knew the chan- 
nel to be lined, should be the leading vessel. They stated, 
moreover, that in their judgment the flag-ship, on the 
movements and signals of which all the other movements 
depended, should not be so much exposed as she would be 
at the head of the line, for she might be crippled before 
they came up with the forts. Farragut demurred very 
much to this arrangement, saying that " exposure was one 
of the penalties of rank in the navy;" besides, it did not 
matter where the flag-ship was, as "she would always be 
the main target of the enemy." 

The fleet, with the Brooklyn ahead, steamed slowly on, 
and at a quarter to seven the Tecumseh fired the first gun. 
Twenty minutes later the forts opened their fire, when the 
Brooklyn replied with two 100-pounder Parrott rifles, and 
the battle fairly commenced. The rebel rams and iron- 
clads, lying under the protection of the fort, added their 
fire, playing almost exclusively on the wooden vessels. 

Farragut had lashed himself near the maintop, so as to 



90 ADMIEAL DAVED GLASCOE FAEEAGUT. 

be able to overlook the whole scene, and watched with 
absorbing anxiety the progress of the fleet through the 
tremendous fire now concentrated upon it. Suddenly, to 
his utter amazement, he saw the Brooklyn stop and begin 
to back, causing the order to reverse engines to pass down 
through the whole fleet, and bringing it to a sudden halt 
just as it was entering the fiery vortex. " What could this 
mean," had hardly leaped to the lips of Farragut, when 
he heard the cry, "The Tecumseh is going down!" 
Glancing his eye towards the spot where she lay, he saw 
only the top of her turrets rapidly disappearing beneath 
the water. The sight at this moment was enough to try 
the stoutest heart, and it brought out, like a flash of light- 
ning, all the heroism in the man. What ! his whole line 
halted — the Tecumseh, for which he had waited so long, 
as the only match in his fleet for the ram Tennessee, gone 
to the bottom Avith all her noble crew, and the fiery tem- 
pest full upon him! With his usually mild face now 
blazing with the light of battle, and unalterable resolu- 
tion written on every lineament, he shouted out, in a voice 
that rung over the thunder of cannon, to start the engmes 
and steam right on ; and, dashing to the head of the line, 
with his bold signal fluttering aloft "close action," he 
drove straight for the blazing fort, followed by the squad- 
ron, — the commanders believing, as he said, "that they 
were going to a noble death with their commander-in- 
chief" The buoys were right ahead which had turned the 
Brooklyn back, indicating where torpedoes were supposed 
to be sunk, ready to lift his ship into the air as they had 
the Tecumseh ; but, pointing between them, the order was 
to move on, and with the foam dashing from the bows 
of his vessel he swept forward, "determined," he said, 
" to take the chances." The fleet followed, gun answering 



FIGHT WITH THE EEBEL EAM. 91 

gun, in one continuous thunder-peal that shook land and 
water. 

Wheeling to the northwest as he kept the channel, he 
brought his whole broadside to bear with fearful effect on 
the fort. As he moved in flame and smoke past it, still 
standing high up in the rigging, he saw the ram Tennessee 
steam out to attack him. He, however, did not stop to 
engage her, but, giving her one broadside, kept on towards 
the rebel gunboats Selma, Gaines, and Morgan, that were 
raking him with a scourging fire. The Selma, especially, 
by keeping on his bows, made sad havoc with her stern- 
guns, while his own 100-pounder rifle could not be 
brought to bear, as its carriage had been shattered by a 
shell. He therefore cast off his consort, the Metacomet, 
with orders to pursue her. She at once gave chase, and, 
after a sharp race of an hour, captured her. The Morgan 
and Gaines ran into shallow water under the guns of the 
fort, where the latter was set on fire, but the former in the 
night escaped up the Mobile river. 

The other vessels following in the wake of the flag-ship, 
one after another swept past the batteries, the crews loudly 
cheering, and were signalled by Farragut to come to an- 
chor. But the officers had scarcely commenced clearing 
decks when the rebel ram was seen boldly standing out 
into the bay, and steering straight for the fleet, with 
the purpose of attacking it. The moment Farragut dis- 
covered it, he signalled the vessels to run her down, and, 
hoisting up his own anchor, ordered the pilot to drive the 
Hartford full on the monster. The Monongahela, under 
the command of the intrepid Strong, being near the rear 
of the line, was still moving up the bay when he saw the 
ram heading for the line. He instantly sheered out, and, 
ordering on a full head of steam, drove with tremendous 



92 ADMIEAL DAVID GLASCOE FAKEAGUT. 

force straight on the iron-clad structure. He struck her 
fair, then, swinging round, poured a broadside of eleven- 
inch shot, which, fired at such close range, fell with the 
weight of descending rocks on her mailed side. Yet they 
bounded back, and dropped harmlessly into the water. 
Wheeling, he again struck her, though he had carried 
away his own iron prow and cutwater.* The Lackawana 
came next, and striking the ram while under full head- 
way, rolled her over on her side. Such was the force of 
the shock that her own stern was cut and crushed to the 
planks for a distance of three feet above the water s edge 
to five feet below, springing her aleak. If his yards and 
topmasts had not been down, they would have gone over- 
board under the shock. As the vessel swung around 
broadside to, a gunner succeeded in planting a nine-inch 
shell, fired within twelve feet of the ram, into one of the 
shutters, breaking it into fragments, which were driven 
into the casemate. The rebels could be seen through the 
portholes making defiant gestures, while they cursed and 
blackguarded our crew in revolting language, which so 
exasperated them that they filled on them with muskets, 
and even hurled a spittoon and holy-stone at them, which 
made them scatter. The next moment, down came Far- 
ragut in the Hartford, but just before the vessel struck, 
the ram sheered so that the blow was a glancing one, 
and the former rasped along her iron-plated hull and 
fell alongside. Recoiling for some ten or twelve feet, the 
Hartford poured in at that short distance a whole broad- 
side of nme-inch solid shot, hurled with charges of thirteen 
pounds of powder. The heavy metal, though sent with 
such awful force, and in such close proximity, made no 

* Strong, by this bold movement, doubtless saved some of the vessels, and ought 
to have been promoted. 



w 





^ LOSS OF THE TECUMSEH. 93 

impression, but broke into fragments on tlie mailed 
sides, or dropped back into the water. The shot and shell 
from the Tennessee, on the other hand, went crashing 
through and through the wooden sides of the Hartford, 
strewing her deck with the dead. One 150-pound shell, 
exploding inside, prostrated men on the right hand and 
left, one of the fragments going through the spar and 
berth decks, and clean through the launch into the hold 
below among the wounded. 

Farragut now stood off, and began to make a circuit 
in order to come down again, when the Lackawana, 
which was driving the second time on the monster, 
struck by accident the Hartford a little forward of the 
mizzen mast, and cut her down to within two feet of 
the water. She was at first thought to be sinking, 
and " the Admiral ! the Admiral ! — save the Admi- 
ral!" rang over the shattered deck. But Farragut, 
seeing that the vessel would still float, shouted out to 
put on steam, determined to send her, crushed and 
broken as she was, full on the ram. 

By this time the monitors had crawled up, and were 
pouring in their heavy shot. The Chickesaw got under the 
stern and knocked away the smokestack, while the Man- 
hattan sent one shot clean through the vessel, and disabled 
her stern port shutter with a shell, so that the gun could 
not be used, while a third carried away the steering gear. 
Thus, with her steering-chains gone, her smokestack shot 
away, many of her port shutters jammed, the Tennessee 
stood amid the crowding gunboats like a bleeding stag 
at bay among the hounds, while the Ossipee, Le Roy 
commanding, was now driving towards her under fiiU 
headway ; and a little farther off, bearing down on the 
same awful errand, were coming the Hartford, Mononga- 



94 ADMIEAL DAVID GLASCOE FAEEAGUl 

hela and Lackawana. The fate of the poor vessel was 
now sealed, and her commander hoisted the white flag, 
but not until the Ossipee was so near, that Le Roy could 
not prevent a collision, and his vessel rasped heavily 
along the iron sides of the ram. He received her surren- 
der from commander Johnson — the admiral, Buchanan, 
having been previously wounded in the leg. This ended 
the morning's work, and, at ten minutes past ten, Farra- 
put brought his fleet to anchor within four miles of Fort 
Morgan. 

The killed and wounded on board the fleet amounted 
to two hundred and twenty-two — among the latter was 
Captain Mallory, of the Galena. Fifty-two were killed, 
of which twenty-five, or about half, were killed on board 
the Hartford, showng to what a fearful fire the flag-ship 
had been exposed. The Brooklyn was the next severest 
suflerer, receiving the heaviest fire of the fort. 

The loss of the Tecumseh, with her gallant commander 
Craven and his crew, nearly all of whom went to the bot- 
tom, chastened somewhat the joy over this great victory. 
Craven Avas in the turret when the torpedo exploded, 
which almost lifted the iron-clad from the water, and 
blowing such a huge opening in her bottom that she 
sunk before the men from below could get on deck. 
Farragut, when he saw her go down, and just as he was 
starting to the head of the line, sent Acting Ensign 
Henry C. Nields with a boat to rescue any of the sur- 
vivors that might be swimming in the water, and nobly 
did he perform the perilous duty assigned him. Sitting 
in the stern of the boat, he gave his orders coolly as his 
great commander could have done, and the rowers bent 
steadily to their oars while shot and shell fell in a per- 
petual shower around them. He succeeded in picking 



CONDUCT OF THE MEN. 95 

up ten within six hundred yards of the fort. A smile of 
pleasure lighted for a moment Farragut's face as he saw 
from his high perch how faithfully and heroically the 
daring youth performed his perilous task. 

The only other vessel lost was the Philippi, which fol- 
lowed the fleet against orders, and being struck by a shot 
was run ashore by her commander and deserted, Avhen the 
rebels burned her. 

Some idea of the terrible fire that had rolled over the 
waters that morning may be obtained by reflecting what 
an enormous amount of powder must have been exploded, 
since the Hartford and Brooklyn alone fired nearly five 
thousand pounds. The fleet and batteries together must 
have expended enough, if put together, to have lifted the 
city of Mobile bodily from its firm foundations. 

The spirit of the commander in this great combat 
seemed to have actuated every officer and man. Farragut 
said of his flag-lieutenant, G. Crittenden Watson, who 
stood on the poop during the entire action, attending to 
the signals, " He is a scion worthy of the noble stock he 
sprang from." Drayton, the flag-captain, said that al- 
though many of the crew had never before seen a battle, 
not one flinched. At diflerent times the greater part of 
four guns' crews were swept away, yet in every case the 
killed and wounded were quietly removed, the injury at 
the guns made good, and in a few moments, except from 
the crimson deck, nothing could lead one to suspect that 
anything out of the ordinary routine had happened 
Charles Melville, knocked down and wounded with fifteen 
others, and presenting a ghastly spectacle, no sooner got his 
wounds dressed than he returned to his gun, and, though 
scarcely able to stand, worked it bravely to the last. 
Thomas Fitzpatrick set the same splendid example, moT?- 



96 ADMIEAL DAVID GLASCOE FAEEAGUT. 

ing a hero amid the crew, though his face was streaming 
with blood. The same could be said of James R. Garri- 
son, Thomas O'Connel, James E. Sterling, and Alexander 
Mack, all wounded — and all fighting bravely till the last 
shot was fired. But to mention all who bore themselves 
worthily and well, one would have to give the entire list 
of the ofiicers and crews. «, 

Two days after the victory, Farragut issued the fol- 
lowing order : 

Flag-Ship Haetfoed, i 
MoUle Bay, Aug. 7 th, 1864. \ 
The admiral desires the fleet to return thanks to Almighty God for the 
signal victory over the enemy on the morning of the 5th instant, 

D. G. FAERAGUT, 
Bear- Admiral Commanding W. G. B. Squadron. 

Thus, after every battle, this great yet humble com- 
mander exclaimed, " Not unto us, but to Thy name be all 
the praise and glory ! " His dependence on God was full 
and complete, yet all his plans were laid with care and 
consummate skill. He showed admirable forethought in 
lashing his ships together ; for the one on the farther side 
from the fort would necessarily receive but little injury ; 
and therefore, if her consort was disabled by the enemy's 
fire, could carry her out of range, and, if she sunk, pick up 
her crew. Hence, though he lost half his fleet, he would 
have the other half safe in Mobile Bay for further service. 
By this arrangement he also shortened his line of battle 
one half, and consequently it was only half as long under 
fire as if he had advanced in single line. If they had 
sailed two abreast without being lashed together, there 
would have been great danger of getting fouled. , 

The night after the battle. Fort Powell was evacuated, 
the rebels blowing it up. The next morning the Chick- 



BOMBARDMENT OF FOET MORGAN. 97 

esaw went down and shelled Fort Gaines, and the follow- 
ing morning Colonel Anderson, the commander, sent a 
note to Farragut, offering to surrender, and asking for 
terms. The reply was, first, miconditional surrender. 
When this was done the prisoners should be treated in 
conformity Avith the custom of civilized nations, and pri- 
vate property, with the exception of arms, be respected. 
These terms were accepted, and at a quarter to ten o'clock 
the same morning the rebel flag came down, and the stars 
and stripes went up, amid the loud and prolonged cheers 
of the fleet. 

Fort Moro;an still refused to surrender, and Grano-er 
having perfected his siege operations, Farragut moved 
down on Sunday night, the 21st, with his fleet, and next 
morning at daybreak opened a terrific bombardment upon 
it. The batteries on shore joined in with their overwhelm- 
ing fire, and all day long it rained a horrible tempest on 
the devoted fort. Farra2;ut said : " A more masrnificent fire 
has rarely been kept up." The inhabita,nts of Mobile 
gathered on the shores and house-tops and towers to gaze 
on the terrific scene, while the buildings, though miles 
away, rattled under the awful explosions, and one vast 
sulphurous cloud heaved and tossed above the quiet waters 
of the bay. Just at twilight the citadel of the fOrt took 
fire, and the garrison, finding themselves unable to ex- 
tinguish the flames, which now shot heavenward in the 
increasing darkness, flooded the magazine to prevent its 
blowing up, and threw large quantities of powder into the 
wells. 

All night long the bombardment was kept up, ribbing 
the darkness with ghastly seams of light, as shells crossed 
and recrossed each other in their fiery track. 

Thus the fearful night wore on, and at six in the 



98 ADSHRAL DAVID GLASCOE FAEEAGUT. 

morning a dull, heavy explosion came over the bay from 
the smoking fort, and half an hour later a white flag was 
seen to wave from its ramparts. General Page offered to 
surrender the fort, and asked the terms. The same as 
those given to Fort Gaines were offered and accepted. In 
his impotent rage, however, the commander ordered all 
the guns to be spiked, the carriages disabled, and arms, 
ammunition, &c,, destroyed. He also, Avith some other 
officers, broke their swords, under the silly impression that 
this would lessen the humiliation of the surrender. 

" The whole conduct of the officers of Fort Gaines and 
Fort Morgan,"" said Farragut, " presents such a striking 
contrast in moral principle that I cannot fail to remark 
upon it. Colonel Anderson, who commanded the former, 
finding himself in a position perfectly untenable, and en- 
cumbered with a superfluous number of conscripts, many 
of whom were mere boys, determmed to surrender a fort 
which he could not defend, and in this determination was 
supported by all his officers save one ; but, from the mo- 
ment he hoisted the white flag, he scrupulously kept every- 
thing intact, and in that condition delivered it over ; whilst 
General Page and his officers, with a childish spitefulness, 
destroyed the guns which they had said they would defend 
to the last, but which they never defended at all, and 
threw away or broke those weapons which they had not 
the manliness to use against their enemies ; for Fort 
Morgan never fired a gun after the commencement of the 
bombardment, and the advanced pickets of our army were 
actually on its glacis." 

As before stated, the ceremony of surrender took place 
at two P.M., and that same afternoon the garrison was 
sent to New Orleans in the United States steamers Ten- 
nessee and Bienville, where they arrived safely. 



RETURN TO NEW YORK. 99 

Farragut remained for awhile blockading the place, 
and sending off expeditions to destroy public property ; 
but his health needing some relaxation from his duties, he 
at length received permission to return home. 

He sailed in the Hartford on the 20th of November, 
and on the 12th of December reached New York harbor. 
The city, apprised of his coming, made preparations to 
receive him with fitting ceremonies. 

A revenue cutter, with the committee of reception on 
board, met him down in the Narrows, and a crowd welcom- 
ed him at the docks in New York. He was then driven to 
the Custom House, where a more formal reception took 
place. Collector Draper welcomed him to the city in a 
flattering address, to which Admiral Farragut made the 
following reply, which we give as being, in our estimation, 
the most characteristic, unstudied, and best one of any that 
he has made : 

" My Friends : I can only reply to you as I did before, by saying that 1 
receive these compliments with great thankfulness and deep emotions. I am 
entirely unaccustomed to make such an address as I would desire to do upon 
this occasion ; but, if I do not express what I think of the honor you do me, 
trust me I feel it most deeply. I don't think, however, that I particularly 
deserve anything from your hands. I can merely say that I have done my 
duty to the best of my abilities. I have been devoted to the service of my 
country since I was eight years of age, and my father was devoted to it before 
me. I have not specially deserved these demonstrations of your regard. I 
owe everything, perhaps, to chance, and to the praiseworthy exertions of my 
brother officers serving with me. That I have been fortunate is most true, 
and I am thankful, deeply thankful for it, for my country's sake. I return 
my thanks to the committee for their resolutions, especially for the one in 
regard to the creation of an add'.tional rank." 

On the last day of the year another reception took 
place at the collector's headquarters, when the sum of 
$50,000— a gift from the wealthy men of Ncav York— was 
presented to him. 



100 ADMIEAL DAVID GLASCOE FAEEAGUT. 

Wherever he went ovations awaited him — even the 
little village of Hastings, to which he retired with his 
wife in the winter, made an imposing display on his 
arrival. 

His reception at this place contrasted strikingly 
with his first entrance into it, an unknown man, three 
years before. Suspected of consj^iracy, his movements 
were then watched ; now the Avintry heavens rang with 
acclamations and the shout of " See, the conquering hero 
comes ! " 

Farragut was no more afloat during the war ; and 
now, raised to the rank of Admiral, modestly wears the 
honors a grateful nation loves to heap on his head. 

In person Farragut is spare, but his form is firmly 
knit and very supple. He has always prided himself on 
the latter quality, and it has been his custom almost daily 
for years, to interlace his fingers in front of him and thrust 
his legs, one after another, through the letter "O" made 
by his clasped hands. A few months ago, however, he 
caught a severe tumble while going through this difficult 
operation, which has caused him to abandon it. He finds 
that age and hard work will tell on limbs, however vigor- 
ous and elastic. 

Although Farragut possesses the originality, in con- 
ception and plan, belonging to true genius, he is not like 
Napoleon the First, who rarely called a council of war. 
He advises with his commanders, hears their suggestions, 
grafts the good ones on to his own plan, and thus makes 
an admirable use of the ability which surrounds him. 

Brave as a lion, he has the dash and daring which a 
sailor loves, and which, if joined with success, makes a 
commander the idol of the people. To see him drive on 
through the deadly fire of batteries towards the enemy's 



CHAEACTEEISTIC ANECDOTE. 101 

vessels beyond, one would think him a reckless, desperate 
man, to whom success, if it came at all, would be pure 
luck. But this would be an erroneous conclusion, for no 
man ever planned more carefully his blow beforehand than 
Farragut. He endeavors to ascertain from the enemy's 
defences and preparations where he least expects that blow 
to fall, then plants it so suddenly that he has no time to 
interpose a new defence, and so terribly that it grinds 
everything to powder. His crouch is as careful and 
stealthy as the panther, and his leap as sudden and 
deadly. The awful fury with Avhich he presses the attack 
when once commenced, does not arise from the frenzied 
excitement of battle, but from the well-settled conviction 
that he has chosen the best course that could be adopted, 
and victory must be reached right onward in it, if reached 
at all. 

Genius, prudence, and judgment in preparing for battle ; 
unconquerable energy and desperate vehemence in pushing 
it ; imperturbable coolness in the most unexpected and 
sudden disaster, and total unconsciousness of danger, 
though death and havoc reign supreme on his decks; 
loving to lead his line where the peril is greatest, and 
asking his subordinates only to follow him — he possesses 
all those qualities which go to make up a great and suc- 
cessful commander. Modest and unassuming, he dislikes 
the pompous ceremony of public ovations — retaining still 
his boyish frankness of nature and geniality of heart, 
that make him accessible to the humblest and beloved 
by all. Many anecdotes are told of the kindness of his 
heart, playfulness of disposition, and boyish freshness of 
nature, that add greatly to the interest one takes in his 
character. Among others, a friend of his has related to 
us the following, that occurred on a trip the Admiral 



102 ADMIRAL DAVID GLASCOE FAREAQUT. 

recently made to tlie White Mountains. At Conway, a 
man brought his little daughter, at her own urgent request, 
some fifteen miles to see him, for she would not be con- 
tent till she had looked on the great Admiral. Farragut 
took the child in his arms, kissed her, and talked playfully 
with her. He was dressed in citizen's costume, and looked 
in her eyes very much like any other man, and totally un- 
like the hero whose praises had been so long ringing over 
the land. In her innocent surprise, she said, "Why, you 
do not look like a great general. I saw one the other day, 
and he was covered all over with gold." The Admiral 
laughed, and, to please her, actually took her to his room, 
and put on his uniform, when she went away satisfied. 
One such little incident as this throws a flood of light on 
one phase of his character, showing that he is kind and 
good as he is brave and great. The nation may well be 
proud of him, not only for the aid he brought to our 
cause by his astonishmg victories, but for the lustre he has 
shed on our navy the world over. 



CHAPTER III. 

REAR-ADMIRAL CHARLES WILKES. 

HIS NATIVITY. — A MIDSHIPMAN. — HIS FIRST CETJISE. — HIS EARLY SERVICES. — 
APPOINTED TO THE DEPOT OF CHARTS AND INSTRUMENTS. — HIS EFFORTS TO 
CREATE A NATIONAL OBSERVATORY DECLARED UNCONSTITUTIONAL. — SENT 
TO SURVEY ST. GEORGE'S BANK. — APPOINTED TO COMMAND THE ANTARCTIC 
EXPEDITION. — ACCOUNT OF HIS EXPLORATIONS, — TAKES VENGEANCE ON THE 
CANNIBALS FOR THE MURDER OF HIS NEPHEW. — HIS AFTER- VOYAGE ROUND 
THE WORLD. — COURT-MARTIALLED. — NAMES OF THE VARIOUS WORKS THAT 
HE PUBLISHED. — AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR PLACED IN COMMAND 
OF THE FRIGATE SAN JACINTO, AND SENT TO THE WEST INDIES TO CAPTURE 
THE PRIVATEER SUMTER. — SEIZES THE BRITISH MAIL-STEAMER TRENT, AND 
CARRIES OFF MASON AND SLIDELL. — EXCITEMENT IN BOTH HEMISPHERES 
OVER THE SEIZURE. — THE ACT FINALLY CONDEMNED BY THE PRESIDENT. — 
MADE COMMODORE, AND PLACED FIRST ON THE LIST. — ASSIGNED TO THE 
COMMAND OF THE POTOMAC FLOTILLA. — MADE ACTING REAR-ADMIRAL, AND 
SENT TO PROTECT OUR COMMERCE IN THE WEST INDIES. — SUSPENDED. — 
PLACED ON THE RETIRED LIST. 

Charles Wilkes is a native of the city of New York, 
where he was born in the year 1801. A mere lad, he 
entered the navy as midshipman, when he was fifteen 
years old. In 1819 and 1820 he was attached to the 
squadron of McDonough in the Mediterranean. The 
two following years he served in the Pacific under Com- 
modore Stewart, and exhibited so much nautical skill 
that he was selected for a separate command. In 1826. 



104 EEAE-ADMIEAL CHAELES WILKES. 

when twenty-five years old, he, after ten years' service, 
was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. In 1830 he was 
appointed over depot of charts and instruments, and was 
the first man in the country to set up fixed astronomical 
instruments and make observations with them. He 
placed the observatory in his own garden ; but, on at- 
tempting to build a firm inclosure around the stone piers 
erected to sustain his instruments, he received an informal 
notice firom the Navy Department, that it would not be 
allowed. On inquiring the reason, he was told that a 
national observatory luas unconstitutional. It seems 
hardly credible that this could have happened a little 
over thirty years ago. The constitution has been made to 
play a very curious roZe in our national history. He 
was taken fi^om this post and sent to survey St. George's 
Bank, which was a great bugbear to navigators, and 
performed the service with entire satisfaction. 

He was now transferred to a position of still greater 
responsibility. For some time the Government had been 
contemplating an expedition into the Antarctic Ocean, 
to see what lay beyond the stormy seas of Cape Horn, 
and at length organized it, and placed him at its head. 
It consisted of five ships, and set sail August 18th, 1838. 

Reaching the Pacific Ocean, he explored various groups 
of islands lying south of the equator, and discovered many 
never before known. Having finished his surveys here, 
he, at the end of the year 1839, turned his prow for the 
Antarctic. Pushing boldly toward the south pole, he at 
length reached the icy barrier that surrounds it, and dis- 
covered the Antarctic Contment, never before seen by 
explorers. With the American flag flying in the strange 
breezes of this unknown, mysterious region, he boldly 
sailed along the barrier of ice in full sight of the land he 



THE ANTAECTIC CONTINENT. 105 

could not reach, — ^running half as many degrees of longi- 
tude as it is across the Atlantic Ocean. The next year 
he explored the Fejee Islands, where a nephew of his was 
killed by the cannibals, for which act he took summary 
vengeance. He thus opened these islands to future navi- 
gators and missionary establishments, which were subse- 
quently planted by the Christian world. He then set sail 
north, and visited the Hawaiian Islands, the Northwest 
Coast of North America, and made explorations by land 
in California. Crossing thence to Asia, he visited Ma- 
nilla, Loochoo, Borneo and Singapore ; and, returning by 
way of the Cape of Good Hope and the isle of St. Helena, 
completed his voyage around the world, and reached 
home June 10th, 1842, having been gone four years. 
The next month he was made commander. During the 
year charges were made against him, by some of his offi- 
cers, and he was court-marshalled. He was, however, 
acquitted of all, except of illegally punishing some of his 
crew, for which he was reprimanded. He published a 
narrative of his explorations in five octavo volumes, which 
made his name widely known in both hemispheres. 
Eleven other volumes and atlases were subsequently pub- 
lished, of which he was the author of the one on meteor- 
ology. In 1849 he published another book, giving an 
account of his observations in California and Oregon. 
In 1855 he was made Captain. The next year he pub- 
lished his "Theory of Wind." Five years of comparative 
quiet now passed, but on the breaking out of the rebellion 
in 1861, he was sent to the West Indies in the frigate 
San Jacinto, to capture the privateer Sumter. 

While cruising in the region he learned that Messrs. 
Mason and Slidell had reached Havana from Charleston 
on their way to England, as accredited ministers for the 



106 EEAE-ADMEAL CHAELES WILKES. 

Confederate States to Great Britain and France. He 
immediately sailed for that port, and there ascertained 
that they had taken passage on board the English mail 
steamer Trent, which was to sail from St. Thomas on the 
1st of November. He immediately determined to cap- 
ture them, and for that purpose cruised in the neighbor- 
hood of the course it was supposed the vessel would take 
on her voyage to England. On the 8th he saw her smoke 
rising over the water, and immediately beat to quarters, 
and ordered Lieutenant Fairfax to have two boats manned 
for the purpose of boarding her. The steamer, as she 
approached the waiting frigate, hoisted English colors. 
Wilkes ran up the American flag, and, as she drew near, 
fired a shot across her bow as a sign to heave to. She 
however paid no attention to the summons, and kept 
steadily on ; he then fired a shell across her bow, which 
was saying, " the next will be a broadside." The English 
commander understood it, and hove to. Lieutenant 
Fairfax then proceeded with his boats alongside, and 
mounted the deck. The captain being pointed out to 
him, he informed him that he was Lieutenant Fairfax of 
the American frigate San Jacinto, commanded by Cap- 
tain Wilkes, and asked to see the passenger list. The 
request was peremptorily declined. 

The Lieutenant then told him that he was informed that 
Messrs. Mason, Shdell, Eustis, and McFarland, were on 
board, and he meant to find them. These gentlemen, 
hearing the discussion, then came forward. Lieut. Fair- 
fax quietly communicated to them the object of his visit. 
They at once protested against being taken on board of 
the American vessel. The passengers now began to 
crowd around, in a state of great excitement. The lieu- 
tenant, fearing that violence would be used, ordered the 



CAPTUEE OF MASON AND SLIDELL. lOT 

lieutenant in the boat alongside to come on board with 
a party of marines. The appearance of these armed men 
on deck of the British vessel was the signal of still greater 
excitement. " Marines on board ! " was shouted on every 
side. "What an outrage!" "What a piratical act!" 
"England will open the blockade for this," and various 
other exclamations which showed the bitter feeling that 
was aroused. Fairfax was in the cabin, and the lieuten- 
ant, hearing the altercation and angry threats, marched 
his marines in among the startled passengers, v/ho fell 
back at their presence. Amid the confusion was heard a 
woman's voice, which proved to be that of SlidelFs daugh- 
ter, who stood before the door of the state-room into which 
her father had retired, declaring that no one should take 
him away. Finding that the prisoners would not go 
without force, the lieutenant took Mr. Mason by the col- 
lar and called on Mr. Hall to assist him. Slidell now 
came through the window of the state-room, when he too 
was seized, and the party hurried off into the boats. The 
families of the gentlemen preferring to keep on to Eng- 
land, they were allowed to remain on board the steamer, 
and she resumed her course. 

The news of the arrest of these men in our port caused 
the wildest excitement. Washington was thrown, into 
fever heat, and the whole nation aroused. Some were 
delighted at the capture of these arch traitors, others 
alarmed at the consequences that would result from their 
capture. " What would England say to it ? " was asked 
on every side. Pages of argument were written to show 
that the seizure was in accordance with the law of nations, 
and past history was ransacked for precedents to justify 
it. The Secretary of the Navy indorsed the act by a letter 
of thanks to Capt. Wilkes, and Congress passed a vote 



108 BEAR- ADMIRAL CHARLES WILKES. 

of thanks. A banquet was given to the Captain in Bos- 
ton, and the country seemed determined to sustain the 
act at all hazards. The news caused still greater excite- 
ment in England. " The British flag had been insulted," 
was the angry exclamation on every side. The deck of 
an English vessel had been invaded by a hostile force, and 
the cry of "redress or war" rolled over the land. After 
the first burst of passion had subsided with us, the affair 
did not wear so gratifying an aspect. We were not in a 
condition just then to go to war with England, and what- 
ever else might be the result, it was plain that such a 
catastrophe at this critical juncture would give the South 
its independence. This was not a pleasant alternative ; 
yet Congress and the Secretary of the Navy had indorsed 
the act, and if the President did the same, we must abide 
the decision, whatever the results might be. The British 
government at once denounced it as an affront to the 
British flag, a violation of international law, and demand- 
ed the restoration of the prisoners. The press throughout 
the country laughed at this extreme sensitiveness to the 
obligations of international law on the part of a nation 
v/hich had violated it more than all other maritime powers 
put together. Still her crimes in this respect could not 
sanction us in committing similar ones. The wrong, if 
one, was the same, whatever her conduct may have been. 
The feeling, however, was very general, that, because 
Great Britain was the chief of sinners in the invasion of 
maritime rights, therefore we had a right to sin also. 
But fortunately our Government took a more statesman- 
like view of it. What England deserved was one thing ; 
what precedent we should establish to be used in future 
complications was quite another. Our record must be kept 
clean, without any reference to feelings of pride or passion. 



PUBLIC FEELING. 109 

The demand of the British government for the return 
of the prisoners on board an English ship was finally ac- 
ceded to, and the threatened storm averted. Some, who be- 
lieved the North could conquer both the South and Cana- 
da, and at the same time maintain the blockade, whip the 
English navy, and chase her commerce from the seas, were 
disappointed and offended at the humiliation, as they 
termed it, of the Government. But none, judging from the 
tone of their press, were more chagrined than the rebels. 
They professed to be ashamed of the poltroonery of Ameri- 
can blood, and scoffed at the base self-degradation. But the 
truth was, this unfortunate occurrence seemed to be such 
a stroke of good fortune for them that they did not w^ant 
to lose the benefits of it. Mason and Slidell were sent 
abroad to secure the intervention of foreign governments 
in their behalf, and their mission promised to be success- 
ful before it was begun. In their imaginations, the storm 
of foreign war was already darkening over the North, and 
they saw their independence secured. To see it dissi- 
pated so suddenly, aroused all their anger and derision. 

]\Iany at the North accepted the action of our Govern- 
ment on the ground of expediency alone, but it ^vas in 
fact justified on the strict ground of international law. 
Much ingenious argument was expended to justify Capt. 
Wilkes, but men forgot that international law, like the 
laws of civilized warfare, is not based on the strict rule 
of justice, but of mutual benefit. They are simply gen- 
eral rules, adopted for the good of all parties, under the 
present order of things ; nothing more. 

The Secretary of State gave several reasons to show 
the propriety of the decision which the government came 
to, but only one was needed. Capt. Wilkes' duty under 
international law was, if he regarded the carrying of 



110 EEAR-ADMIRAL CHAELES WILKES. 

Mason and Slidell as a violation of neutral rights, to 
seize the vessel and carry her into a neutral port, and 
have the case decided by a prize court. This was the 
first step to be taken ; and until this was done, all require- 
ments about the status of these men, and what constituted 
articles contraband of war, were out of place. Neither 
the press, nor the people, nor Capt. Wilkes, were to be judges 
of that. The first step which he did take being a wrong 
one, there was no use of discussing the intrinsic merits 
of the case. 

To justify Capt. Wilkes would be to lay down the 
extraordinary doctrine, that any sloop-of-war may turn 
her deck into a ^97'Z2;e couy^t and adjudicate on its own 
seizures. This would be a monstrous principle for our 
government to establish, and yet this is exactly what it 
would have done, had it sustained Capt. Wilkes. It 
evidently dawned on his own mind, after his first report 
was sent to the Government, that his action was unjusti- 
fiable on this very ground, for he made a second, in which 
he apologizes for not bringing the vessel in, on the ground 
of inability to do so. But this was plainly an after- 
thought, and had no foundation in fact. 

On the reorganization of the navy in 1862, he was 
promoted to the rank of Commodore, and placed first on 
the list. He was then assigned the command of the 
flotilla in the James Biver. The rebel troops at City 
Point having attacked our transports, he moved up and 
shelled it, leaving it a heap of ruins. Afterwards he was 
made acting rear-admiral, and was sent in command of 
a squadron to the West Indies, to protect our commerce 
there. His presence in those waters annoyed the Eng- 
lish much, who imagined that it was done to insult them, 
because of their denunciations of his conduct in the 



IS SUSPENDED. Ill 

Trent affair. The scene of his discomfiture was made to 
witness his promotion and a still larger exercise of power 
granted him. 

Afterward, having allowed some Governmental docu- 
ments to be made public, he was court-martialled, and 
the trial told so heavily against him, that he was sus- 
pended for awhile, and eventually placed on the retired list, 
where he now is. He is an able man, and stands among 
the first of American explorers, and as such is more 
widely known than any other regular naval commander. 



CHAPTER IV. 

REAR-ADMIRAL SILAS H. STRmOHAM. 

HIS NATIVITY. — ENTERS THE NAYT. — SAILS TJNDEE EODGEES. — AFFAIR OF THE 
PRESIDENT AND LITTLE BELT.— WAR DECLARED. — CHASE OF THE BELYI- 
DERE. — SERVES UNDER DECATTTB ON THE COAST OF ALGIERS. — RESCUES 
THE CREW OF A FRENCH BRIG AT GIBRALTAR. — A GALLANT FEAT. — 
CAPTURES SLAYERS ON THE AFRICAN COAST AND SENT HOME WITH HIS 

PRIZES. — MADE LIEUTENANT, AND SENT TO THE WEST INDIA STATION- 

CAPTURES A NOTORIOUS SLAVER. — TRANSFERRED TO THE BROOKLYN NAVY 
YARD. — COMMANDS THE OHIO IN THE BOMBARDMENT OF VERA CRUZ. — 
COMMANDS THE BRAZILIAN SQUADRON. — SENT TO THE MEDITERRANEAN. — 
PLACED OYER GOSPORT NATT YARD. — AT COMMENCEMENT OF THE REBEL- 
LION MADE FLAG-OFFICER OF THE ATLANTIC BLOCKADING SQUADRON. — 
COMMANDS THE RXPEDITION SENT TO CAPTURE HATTERAS.- THE BOM- 
BARDMENT. — JOY OYER HIS VICTORY. — BLAMED FOR NOT PEOSECUTIXG IT, 
AND IS BELIEVED OF HIS COMMAND. PLACED ON THE RETIRED LIST. 

Admiral Stringham was born in New York State, 
and entered the service in 1809, in 1810 as midshipman, 
and served under the gallant Rodgers in the frigate Presi- 
dent till 1815. In 1811, the year before the second war 
with England was declared, though then but thirteen 
years of age, he got a taste of the life he might expect in 
his profession. In May of that year, Commodore Podgers, 
whose vessel was then lying at Annapolis, heard that an 
American had been impressed on board an English frig- 
ate, near Sandy Hook. Impressment of Americans on 



THE PEESIDENT AND LITTLE BELT. 113 

board of British men-of-war was at that time one of the 
outrages against which we remonstrated, and for which 
we finally declared war. Its repetition, right on our 
coast, was too gross an insult to be overlooked, and he 
immediately weighed anchor and hastened northward to 
get the man released, or fight the English vessel. On 
the 16th of May, at noon, a sail was made, and the Presi- 
dent immediately stood towards it. The latter bore 
away, and the President gave cha&e. Podgers did not 
come up with the stranger till after dark, and so did not 
know his strength. But when he got within hail, he de- 
manded the name of the ship. No answer being returned, 
except to send back, word for word, his own hail, the 
question, after a short interval, was again put, when a 
shot came for a reply from the stranger, striking the main- 
mast of the frigate. Three more guns followed, in quick 
succession, when the President opened her broadsides. 
After a few shots, Podgers, finding that his insolent 
enemy made but feeble resistance, ordered the fire to 
cease, and again hailed the vessel. This time he got an 
answer. Seeing that his antagonist was disabled, and 
having finally compelled him to answer his hail, he 
though he had given him a sufficient lesson in good man- 
ners, and so gave the name of his own ship. He then 
wore round, and, running a short distance to leeward, 
hove to for the night. The next morning he sent an 
officer aboard, who reported the vessel to be the English 
ship of war Little Belt. She was sadly cut up, having 
lost thirty-one of her crew by the President's broadsides. 
The captain, Bingham, angrily refusing any assistance, 
both vessels bore away to their respective ports, to report 
this momentous event to the two nations, already on the 
verge of war, and needing only a spark to kindle the 
8 



114 EEAE-ADIMIEAL SILAS H. STRINGHAM. 

smouldering embers into a blaze. No one at this day can 
imagine the tremendous excitement this affair created on 
both sides of the water. Rodgers was assailed on all 
sides ; but his officers stood by him. 

The next year war was declared. Our little navy at 
this critical period was so insignificant, compared to that 
of the English, that it was at first determined not to send 
it to sea at all, but to keep it for harbor defences ; but 
this fatal decision was changed by the resolute determina- 
tion of two naval officers — Bainbridge and Stewart. 

A large fleet of Jamaica men was reported to have 
sailed, and should be at this time off our coast, and Rod- 
gers, who was then in New York harbor, was ordered to 
intercept it. The amount of abuse he had received for 
his attack on the Little Belt had not lessened his anti- 
pathy to the English ; and, in an hour after he received 
the orders — as if fearing they might be revoked — his 
squadron, with all sail set, was standing proudly down 
the bay. Stringham was now fourteen years old, and 
the scene he witnessed left an indelible impression on his 
memory. The gallant officers and sailors of that squad- 
ron had none of the misgivings of the Government. They 
wanted no shelter in port, and asked no favors but an un- 
fettered command and the broad ocean, and the privilege, 
with their flag flying in the breeze, to lay alongside of the 
proudest frigate in the proud English navy. When the 
.order to ^veigh was given, never was anchor to the cat- 
head sooner, or with a heartier " yo-heave-ho," nor top- 
sail sheeted home sooner, for every pulse on board that 
little squadron was bounding with joy. As the vessels 
bore majestically down the bay, the men were beat to 
quarters, and all told, if any among them disliked the 
coming contest, or a single one -^vho had not rather sink 



HIS FIRST FIGHT. 115 

alongside, giving gun for gun, than surrender, he might 
leave at once and go ashore in the pilot boat. Fore-and- 
aft, like a rising storm, went " not one, not one ! " and 
then three thundering cheers rolled over the placid waters 
of the bay. Stringham's voice joined in the shout, and, 
though a mere lad, he panted for the fight. That little 
squadron was to make the first claim for equal rights on 
the sea. Two days after, just at sunrise, an English frig- 
ate was seen in the northeast, and all sail crowded m pur- 
suit. The chase led down the wind, and the President 
being a fast sailer, when going free, soon left the squadron 
far astern, and all day long bore steadily down on the 
Englishman, gaining slowly but steadily. At four o'clock 
he got within gunshot, and in a very short time the ex- 
cited crew expected to be alongside. But at this critical 
moment the wind lulled, and the Eno-lishman beofan to 

' CD O 

creep away from the President. Podgers then deter- 
mined to cripple his antagonist, so that he could come up, 
and, training the first gun himself, pulled the lanyard. 
The well-aimed shot struck the stern of the British frig- 
ate, and, crashing through her timbers, plunged into the 
gun-room. Shot after shot was now fired in quick suc- 
cession ; but at the fourth discharge the gun burst, killing 
and wounding sixteen of our own men, and flinging 
the Commodore into the air, who fell back on the deck 
with such violence that his leg was broken. The enemy, 
seeing the accident, now opened fire ; but the President, 
recovering from her disaster, soon began to heave her 
shot -wdth such precision, that the Belvidere (the name of 
the English vessel) was compelled to cut away her 
anchors, throw overboard her boats, and spring fourteen 
tons of water, in order to lighten herself. By this sacri- 
fice she gained in the desperate chase, and the President 



116 EEAE-ADMIEAL SILAS II. STEINGHAM. 

was compelled to give up the pursuit. This was the first 
real engagement with a foe of equal size that young 
Stringham was in, and his disappointment at the result 
was intense. He was in no after engagement during the 
war, though the navy covered itself with imperishable 
glory. In 1815, he was transferred to the brig Spark, 
Capt. Gamble, which constituted a part of Decatur s 
squadron in the Algerine war, and helped to take an Al- 
gerine frigate. The next year, while his vessel was lying 
at Gibraltar, he performed one of those acts of gallant 
daring that have always distinguished our nav}\ A 
French brig, attempting to come into the bay in a heavy 
gale, was capsized, and lay wallowing in the sea, totally 
helpless. The crew of the Spark saw her distress, and 
Stringham, though a stripling of only eighteen years of 
age, volunteered to go to her assistance. Gamble gave 
his consent, and the former, with six seamen, leaped into 
a small boat and pulled through the turbulent sea to- 
wards the Frenchman. He reached the brig, and, with 
great difficulty and danger to his boat, succeeded in tak- 
ing off five of the crew, and then bore away to transfer 
his burden to his vessel and return. But the wind and 
waves beat him back, and he could make no headway in 
that direction. He then turned and pulled for the Al- 
gerian shore ; but as he approached it he saw the surf, 
lashed by the gale, breaking furiously upon it. There 
was now no alternative, however, but to pass through it ; 
and the rowers bent to their oars with all their strength. 
The breakers caught the frail, heavily-laden boat, and, 
lifting it high into the air, hurled it, bottom side up, on 
the beach. Each one now had to struggle for his life. * 
Stringham got ashore ; but one of his crew and two of 
the Frenchmen were borne away by the surf and 
drowned. 



HIS CKUISES AND SEE VICES. 11 7 

In 1819 we find Stringham on board the Cyane, con- 
veying the first settlers to Liberia. While on the Afii- 
can coast he was put with an armed crew in command 
of a boat, and sent out in search of slavers. He suc- 
ceeded in capturing four, and Avas made prize-master, and 
sent home with his prizes. In 1821 he was promoted to a 
first-lieutenancy, and ordered to the Hornet, then on the 
West India station. There he captured a notorious pi- 
rate-ship and slaver. From 1825 to 1829 he was at 
the Brooklyn navy yard, and afterward went as first- 
lieutenant of the Peacock in search of the Hornet, sup- 
posed to be lost. During the search he was transferred to 
the Falmouth, and sent to Carthagena, and in 1830 re- 
turned to New York. For the next five years he was 
engaged on shore duty. He then was sent to the Mediter- 
ranean, but in 1837 was again in command of the Brook- 
lyn navy yard. In 1842 he was ordered to the razee In- 
dependence, but the next year returned to the navy yard. 
He was here when Marshal Bertrand visited the country, 
and helped to honor the illustrious Frenchman. In 1846 
he was placed in command of the ship-of-the-line Ohio, 
and took part in the bombardment of Vera Cruz during 
its investment by Scott. Afterward, for a short time, he 
commanded the Brazilian squadron, but in 1851 took 
charge of the Gosport navy yard. The three subsequent 
years he commanded the Mediterranean squadron — his 
flag-ship being the ill-fated Cumberland. He was then 
ordered again to the Gosport navy yard, where he re- 
mained till 1859. In March, 1861, he was called to 
Washington as a member of a naval court-martial. The 
rebellion breaking out, he was appointed flag-officer of 
the Atlantic blockading squadron. In August he was 
sent with General Butler, commanding a land force, to 



118 EEAR-ADMIEAL SILAS H. STEINGHAM. 

capture Fort Hatteras. This fort commanded the inlet 
to Pamlico and Albermarle Sounds — a great rendezvous 
for rebel privateers, and the waters of which commanded 
nearly the whole coast of North Carolina. No secret was 
made of the expedition, and the Confederate authorities 
had ample time and notice to prepare for defence. The 
expedition consisted of the flag-ship Minnesota, the United 
States steamers "Wabash, Monticello, Pawnee, Harriet 
Lane, and the chartered steamers Adelaide, Peabody, and 
the tug Fanny. The Adelaide and Peabody were trans- 
ports carrying the troops, and towing schooners loaded 
with surf-boats, in which to land them. These were 
a part of two regiments — five hundred of the Twentieth 
New York Volunteers, Colonel Weber commanding, and 
two hundred and twenty of the Nintli, Colonel Hawkins 
commanding, with one hundred of the coast-guard, under 
Captain Nixon, and sixty of the Second United States Ar- 
tillery, under Lieutenant Larned — making nine hundred 
in all. The expedition sailed on the 26th of August, 
1861, at one o^ clock, and the news of its departure was 
soon telegraphed all over the country, causing the greatest 
excitement, — for all were eager to have something done 
to offset the mortification caused by the defeat of Bull 
Run. 

Light summer airs prevailed, and the next morning, 
at half past nine o'clock. Cape Hatteras was sighted. At 
five the squadron came to anchor south of the Cape, and 
the boats were hoisted out ready to commence landing 
the troops in the morning. At four next morning the 
drum roused the men, and, a hasty breakfast being taken, 
between six and seven the signal was made to disembark 
the troops — the Pawnee, Monticello, and Harriet Lane, 
in the mean time to cover the landing, which was to take 



BOMBAKDMENT OF FOKT HATTERAS. 119 

place about two miles east of Fort Clark. Fort Hat- 
teras, a regularly constructed earthwork, with bomb-proofs, 
and guns mounted en barbette, was some one hundred 
and thirty rods inland, while fort Clark was a redoubt 
lying between it and the ships, and near the shore. 

At ten o'clock the Wabash, Cumberland, and Minne- 
sota opened their broadsides, and, running backwards and 
forwards past the battery, rained shot and shell without 
intermission upon it. An hour later, the Susquehannah 
came up, and the four vessels poured in a continuous fire 
on the doomed earthwork. The smoke from fifty-seven 
guns rolled away over the water, and, settling in the still 
air, shut out, except at intervals, the fort, whose guns 
replied, but could not reach the ships. While this tre- 
mendous cannonading was going on, three miles away 
the surf boats were pulling for the shore. Although the 
weather was calm, a heavy southerly gale had prevailed 
just before the fleet arrived, and was evidently still blow- 
ing farther down the coast, from the effect of which the 
surf was breaking with tremendous power on the exposed 
beach and momentarily increasing in force. The boats, 
as soon as they entered the breakers, were hurled vio- 
lently forwards, then left aground, so that the soldiers 
had to wade ashore, wetting their guns and ammunition. 
It was impossible in the heavy seas, to launch the boats 
again, and return after the remaining troops, lying off in 
smooth water. All this time Stringham kept up the 
bombardment, though expecting every moment the signal 
of the land attack, which was to be the signal to cease 
firing. But, despite all their exertions, but three hundred 
men could be got on shore, with only two howitzers, one 
of which Avas disabled in the landing. This little force 
however, immediately formed and marched along the 



120 KEAE-ADMIEAL SILAS H. STRmGHAM. 

beach toward the fort. The vessels ceased firing, and 
watched its steady progress. The garrison at the battery 
also saw it advancing, and fled inland to the protection 
of Fort Hatteras. At two o'clock the American flag was 
flying above it. The Monticello, Capt. Gillis, was now 
ordered to feel her way into the inlet. In doing so, how- 
ever, she came within range of the guns of Fort Hat- 
teras, and was struck several times ; while inside, a rebel 
steamer was seen towing a schooner filled with troops, 
toward the fort. Stringham immediately hoisted the sig- 
nal "engage batteries," and the ponderous shot and shell 
again rained against the fortifications. The cannonade 
was kept up till a little after six, when the signal " cease fir- 
ing" was displayed from the flag-ship, and silence once 
more reigned over the waters. The wind now rising, the 
squadron hauled ofl" to get an offing in case of a gale, with 
the exception of the Monticello, Pawnee, and Harriet 
Lane, which were ordered to lie close in shore and protect 
the troops. The condition of the latter was any thing but 
pleasant. Cut off^ from their comrades, cut ofl* from the 
ships, and., if a storm arose, which might be expected at 
any moment on that inhospitable coast, sure to be captured, 
the prospect before them was gloomy enough. Wet 
through, with but little ammunition, and no provisions, 
they, as night came on, fell back toward the shore. As 
they did so they luckily came upon some sheep and 
geese, which they at once appropriated and carried back 
to the beach. Camp fires were then built, and the hastily 
dressed mutton and fowls spitted on bayonets and cut- 
lasses, and roasted. As darkness closed around them, 
the rain began to fall, foretelling a stormy night. The 
few fires burned dimly along the strand, on which all night 
long the white-crested billows broke with a deep moton- 



SUEEENDER OF THE FOET. 121 

onous roar. The hours passed slowly away, and the poor 
fellows looked forward to a southern prison as their doom. 
But at length it began to lighten in the east, and as the 
early dawn brightened over the broadly heaving Atlantic, 
they saw with joy the vessels again standing towards the 
land. A little after seven the signal was again run up 
'• engage batteries, " and now Fort Hatteras took all 
the storm. After a couple of hours, however, Stringham 
saw that many of his shot fell short, and ordered the fir- 
ing to cease, and the gunners use fifteen-second fuses only, 
with ten-inch guns. He had been using ten-second fuses. 
The fire was then renewed, and, the Harriet Lane coming 
up with her rifled guns, the fort took a terrible pounding. 
Commodore Barron, of the rebel navy, — in whose charge 
the defences of the North Carolma coast had been placed, 
— came to the fort the previous evening, and assumed 
command. A few months before, his flag had waved from 
the Wabash, that he as a federal officer commanded, and 
now he saw her guns turned on him, a traitor. He 
soon noticed that the guns of the fort were too light to 
reach the ships, which Avith their heavy metal could, 
while keeping out of his range, hurl shells and shot, 
with unerring precision, into his works. He saw at 
once it was a hopeless fight, yet he could have kept to 
his bomb-proofs, and waited for a storm to disperse the 
fleet, which might be expected any hour on that coast; 
but the wooden ventilator of his magazine taking fire 
from our shells, a panic, it was supposed, seized the troops, 
and they demanded that the fort should be surrendered. 
So just before noon a white flag went up — ^the firing 
ceased, and the little band on shore began to move 
towards the fort. The crews of the squadron, when they 
saw this, simultaneously sent up three rousing cheers. 



122 EEAR- ADMIRAL SILAS H. STEINGHAM. 

Gen. Butler went in to receive the surrender, and soon 
returned with Barron and the officers on board. Seven 
hundred and fifteen men, a thousand stand of arms, sev- 
enty-five kegs of powder, five stand of colors, thirty-one 
cannon, besides provisions, stores, and cotton, were the 
fruits of this victory. The wild delight with which the 
news was received, showed how deeply the nation had 
felt the disgrace of Bull Run, and how eager it was to 
seize on any success that would help to wipe out its re- 
membrance. 

The Harriet Lane, in trymg to cross the bar, grounded, 
and it was feared for a while that she would be lost, but 
she was finally got off. The fleet returned to Fortress 
Monroe amid the acclamations of the people, and ova- 
tions were freely tendered to Stringham. But the plau- 
dits that were rained on him soon gave way to unmeas- 
ured and unmerited blame, for not taking his fleet into 
the sound, and prosecuting his victories along the coast. 
It was said that he was in a hurry to get back, and be 
feted and lionized, and an attempt was made to throw 
ridicule upon him. It afterwards turned out that his 
vessels drew too much water to go over the bar, and, 
moreover, that his orders were to return immediately, 
after the reduction of the forts, to Fortress Monroe. 
When this was finally ascertained, the denunciations 
were turned from him on the navy department, for its 
shiftless management ; but too late to soothe the wounded 
feelings of the brave commander. Whether it was owing 
to the unmerited abuse he received, causing him to be 
dissatisfied mth the service,' or not, he, for some reason, 
the next month, at his own request, was relieved from 
liis command. The next year, Aug. 1st, he was made 
rear-admiral on the retired list. 




y/yAo/^ 



g? 



rAB. toM. SAMUEL r. DTJPOirr, 



CHAPTER V. 



REAR-ADMIRAL SAMUEL FRANCIS DUPONT. 

HIS NATIVITY. — MADE MIDSHIPMAN AT TWELVE TEARS OF AGE. FIRST CEmSE 

UNDKE COMMODORE STEWART. — OOMMANDEE IN 1845. — COMMANDS THE 

CONGRESS DURING THE MEXICAN WAR. EESOUES A PAETT BELEAGUERED 

IN THE MISSION OF SAN JOSE. — MADE CAPTAIN AND PLACED IN COMMAND 
OF THE STEAM FRIGATE MINNESOTA, AND CONVEYS OUR MINISTER TO 
CHINA. — CRUISE IN THE CHINESE WATERS. — AT THE BREAKING OUT OF 
THE REBELLION PLACED OVER THE PHILADELPHIA NAVY YARD. — PROPOSES 
THE CAPTURE OF PORT ROYAL. — PLACED IN COMMAND OF THE EXPEDI- 
TION. — EXCITEMENT OF THE COUNTRY ON ITS DEPARTURE. — MYSTERY KE- 
SPECTLNG ITS DESTINATION. — A TERRIFIC STORM. — FOREBODINGS OF THE 
PEOPLE AND EXULTATION OF THE SOUTH. — THE FLEET SCATTERED. — SHIP- 
WRECK AND DEATH. — SINKING OF THE GOVERNOR. — FRIGHTFUL SCENES.— 
AERIVAL AT POET ROYAL. — THE ATTACK. — A THRILLING SPECTACLE. — SUE- 
EENDEE OF THE FORTS. — ENTHUSIASM OVER THE VICTORY. — DUPONT's CON- 
QUESTS ALONG THE COAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, AND FLORIDA. — 
HIS STRINGENT BLOCKADE. — RAID OF THE REBEL RAMS OF CHARLESTON ON 
HIS FLEET. — THE MERCEDITA AND KEYSTONE STATE. — COMMANDS THE IRON- 
CLAD FLEET IN THE GREAT ATTACK ON CHARLESTON. — DESCEIPTION OF 
THE COMBAT. — DISAPPOINTMENT OVER THE FAILURE. — DUPONT BLAMED 
FOE NOT RENEWING THE ATTACK. — HIS DEFENCE. — COURT-MARTIALS THE 
CHIEF ENGINEER. — RELIEVED OF HIS COMMAND. — ADMIRAL FOOTE PUT IN 
HIS PLACE. — HIS SUDDEN DEATH. — ADMIRAL DAHLGREN SUCCEEDS HIM. — 
RETIREMENT OF DUPONT. — HIS DEATH. — HIS CHARACTER. 

DupoNT, as his name indicates, is of French extrac- 
tion, his father and grandfather both having emigrated to 
this country in 1799. 



124 EEAE-ADMIEAL S. F. DUPONT. 

He was born at Bergen Point, New Jersey, Septem- 
ber 27th, 1803. The remembrance of the vital aid 
rendered us by the French nation in our struggle for in- 
dependence being fresh in our memories, it was not diffi- 
cult to get a son of one of its recent citizens into our navy ; 
and Samuel, in 1817, at twelve years of age, obtained a 
midshipman's warrant and sailed on his first cruise in the 
seventy-four gunshij) Franklin, under the gallant Com- 
modore Stewart. Being an apt scholar, he rapidly ac- 
quired the knowledge of his profession, but, promotion 
coming slowly in times of peace, he, though steadily rising 
step by step in rank, did not reach the position of com- 
mander till 1845. All this time he faithfully fulfilled his 
duties in whatever waters he sailed. In 1845 he was or- 
dered to the Pacific to the command of the Congress, and 
saw much service, during the Mexican war, on the coast 
of California. 

In 1848, hearing that Lieutenant Heywood, with a 
small party, was beleaguered in the Mission House at St. 
Jose by some five hundi'ed Mexicans, he landed a hundred 
marines and sailors, and boldly advancing against this 
force, five times as great as his own, scattered them in 
confusion, and rescued the lieutenant. His gallant "blue 
jackets " were received by the rescued party with rousing 
cheers, which they returned with a sailor's heartiness. 

In 1856 he was made captain, and the next year 
placed in command of the steam-frigate Minnesota, and 
ordered to convey Mr. Reed, the American minister, to 
China. He remained cruising m the Chinese waters for 
two years, when he returned to the United States, and, 
on the 1st of January, 1861, was appointed over the 
Philadelphia navy yard. In the summer, while String- 
ham was preparing the expedition against Hatteras, the 



POET EOYAL EXPEDITION 125 

Secretary of .the Navy consulted with him respecting the 
seizure of some Southern harbor occupying a central posi- 
tion, which would answer for a depot and place of rendez- 
vous, etc., for our fleets in the South Atlantic and Gulf 
of Mexico. He recommended Port Koyal, a place but 
little known at the time in the North. His views being 
adopted, he was put in command of the Atlantic block- 
ading squadron, and directed to fit out an expedition to' 
capture it, 

A fleet of fifty sail — transports and all — was assem- 
bled in Hampton Roads, attached to which was a land 
force, some twenty thousand strong, under Gen. W. T. 
Sherman. The Government, having learned wisdom by 
experience, determined that the destination of this expedi- 
tion should be kept secret ; and each commander was 
furnished with sealed orders, which were not to be 
opened till out to sea. Bad management in some of the 
minor details delayed the sailing of the fleet later than 
was intended, and the beautiful month of October slipped 
away, leaving it still in the waters of the Chesapeake. 
Dupont had sent ofi* some twenty coal vessels, with direc- 
tions to rendezvous ofi" Savannah, in order to deceive the 
enemy as to the real point of attack ; and, at length, on 
the 24th of October, gave the signal to the fleet to weigh 
anchor. No such imposing naval force had ever before 
been seen in our waters, and the appearance it presented 
as it moved down the bay, was most grand and striking. 
When the news was received that it was fairly out to sea, 
the most intense excitement prevailed throughout the 
country. The secret of its destination had been well 
kept ; and hence a mystery enveloped it which served to 
increase the excitement. Various conjectures were made 
respecting the point along the coast on which the descent 



126 EEAE-AD3IIEAL S. F. DUPONT. 

was to be made. Some suggested Wilmington, others 
Savannah and Charleston ; while but a few guessed its 
real destination. All were agreed in one thing, however, 
that it would send consternation through the South. But 
in a few days, however, the elation of the people was 
changed into gloomy forebodings, for a storm of unpre- 
cedented fury swept along the Atlantic coast, carrying 
wreck and destruction in its path. One might have well 
been filled with anxiety had the fleet been composed of 
thorough-going sea vessels ; but it was known that many 
of those used as transports were never intended for the 
sea — ^being mere river steamers, and even ferry-boats. 
Loaded to their utmost capacity with stores and ammuni- 
tion, and precious lives, how could they outride such a 
hurricane? Men in Washington turned pale as they 
heard, hour after hour, the heavy storm surging by, and 
it began to look as though God's frown was on the enter- 
prise. The Southern papers overflowed with exultation 
and thanksgiving, and every one called to mind the 
Spanish Armada, whose strength and pride were humbled 
by just such a storm, and left a helpless wreck on the 
waters. 

Rumors of wreck and disaster came at intervals from 
along the coast ; but it was many days before any defin- 
ite information was received. 

The fleet took the storm on the most dangerous part 
of our coast — oif Cape Hatteras — and was scattered by 
it like autumn leaves in a gale. From four o'clock, Fri- 
day morning, till midnight, the tempest was at its height. 
Signal lio-hts were hoisted after dark in the rio-orino- of the 
vessels, which rose and fell like fireflies along the heaving 
deep. Now up and now down, as the laboring ships 
reeled from the watery summits to the yawning gulfs be- 



A FEAEFUL STOKM. 12T 

low ; they one moment gleamed dimly through the blind- 
ing storm and rain, that fell in torrents, and then disap- 
peared, as if quenched for ever, in the tumultuous billows. 
Some of the vessels soon became unmanageable, others 
endeavored to lay-to, and all were fearful, even could they 
outride the hurricane, that they would be dashed against 
each other in the darkness. The wind howled and 
shrieked through the rigging, and the thousands of sol- 
diers, unaccustomed to the sea, stood appalled at the 
might and terror of the angry elements. The Winfield 
Scott, loaded with nearly five hundred troops, labored 
fearfully, and soon sprung a leak. Hoisting signals of 
distress, she cut away her masts. This failing to relieve 
her, she tumbled overboard her three rifled cannon. 
Nfext, the tents, equipments, and muskets were thrown 
into the sea, while the pumps were kept vigorously at 
work. The Bienville saw her signal of distress and 
hove-to. It did not seem possible that a small boat 
could live a moment in such a sea, and Captain Steed- 
man, unwilling to order any of his crew to attempt the 
perilous task of carrying a hawser to her, shouted, "Who 
will volunteer to save the Winfield Scott?" "I," "I," 
replied a score of brave sailors, and three boats were 
at once lowered, and the next moment were riding like 
cockle-shells on the careering waves. Two were swamped, 
but the lives of the crew saved. At length the two ves- 
sels drifted together, with a crash. Taking advantage of 
the collision, fifty soldiers leaped aboard the Bienville — 
some fell between, and, with a shriek, disappeared in the 
boiling waters. Three were caught between the grinding 
timbers, and, crushed out of the form of humanity, 
dropped silently into the deep. The chief-engineer and 
his assistants, panic-stricken, also escaped over the sides 



128 EEAE-ADmKAL S. R DUPONT. 

of the vessel while in contact with the Bienville. The 
remaining soldiers were now wild with terror ; but the 
captain of the vessel, seeing the dastardly escape of the en- 
gineer, came on board, and, putting him in irons, took him 
and the crew back. It was midnight, and five feet of water 
were in the hold, and terror and death were on every side. 
But the return of the captain, with the engineer and crew, 
restored order, and the soldiers became calm and steady 
again. The storm at length began to abate, when they 
then gained on the leak, and the vessel was saved. 

Tlie crew of the transport Peerless were taken from 
her in a sinking condition ; but the steamer Governor, 
with the Marine battalion on board, was soon left help- 
less and sinking. Under the blows of the heavy seas 
the brace-chains of the smoke-stack parted, and it weftit 
overboard ; but breaking three feet above the hurricane- 
deck, a little steam could be kept up. Then the steam- 
pipe burst, while the frail vessel was leaking badly. At 
dark a vessel was seen in the distance, and a rocket was 
sent up through the storm, asking for help. An answer- 
ing signal flashed out, filling every heart with hope. But 
she was unable to render any assistance, and kept on her 
way. Rocket after rocket was now sent up in the 
darkness — mute cries of distress, till all were gone — 
and then the soldiers were ordered to keep up a fire of 
musketry ; but the vollies scarcely made a sound in the 
louder tumult of the wind and waves. A hundred men 
were kept at the pumps, others held on to the braces, that 
threatened to part every moment, and thus the fearful 
night wore away. 

As daylight broke slowly over the wild and stormy 
waste, two vessels were descried off the starboard bow. 
One, the Isaac Smith, commanded by Lieut. Nicholson, 



WRECK OF THE GOVERNOR. 129 

saw the signal of distress and stood towards her. At ten 
o'clock the former hailed, saying he would take off the 
crev/. By great exertion a hawser was got on board ; but 
through some carelessness was soon lost and dragged 
in the water. The Smith then stood off, and the Young 
Rover came up, the captain of which said he would 
stand by them to the last, which was answered by a loud 
cheer from the deck of the Governor. The Smith soon 
came back, and another hawser was got aboard, but again 
parted. All this while the water was rapidly gaining on 
the vessel, and every moment she threatened to go down 
with all on board. The Young Rover, seeing a frigate 
in sight, stood toward her with a signal of distress. It 
proved to be the Sabine, Capt. Ringgold, who soon was 
within hail, giving the comforting assurance that he 
would take all on board. But night was now coming on 
again, and it was not until eight or nine o'clock that her 
stern could be brought near enough to the bow of the Sa- 
bine to allow a boom to be rigged out, along which thirty 
were "whipped" aboard, when hawsers and cables parted, 
under the tremendous plunges of the vessels. Ringgold 
now determined to get alongside, hazardous as the at- 
tempt Avas. It seemed impossible to do this without com- 
uio' in collision with the Governor with a force that would 
crush her like an egg-shell. It was, however, done ; 
though the Sabine had twenty feet of her hurricane-deck 
carried away by the former. Forty were then got on 
board, while one, falling between the vessels, was crushed 
to death. The Sabine now started ahead, determined to 
tow the disabled vessel till morning. The hearts of those 
left on board sunk at the prospect. There were three 
feet of water in the hold, and rapidly gaining; and the 
sea running mountains high. That she could be kept 





130 EEAE- ADMIRAL S. F. DUPO^T. 

afloat till morning seemed hardly possible. But every 
thinof movable was thrown overboard, and the water casks 
started to lighten the ship ; so that, though slowly settling, 
she floated nobly through the rest of the night. At day- 
break, the boats of the Sabine put of£ to her relief, though 
a fearful sea was running at the time. They dared not 
approach the guards of the vessels lest they should be 
swamped, and so lay off and called on the soldiers and 
crew to jump overboard. It was a fearful alternative ; but 
no other was left. The ranks were kept in military order, 
and one soldier after another stepped out as he was or- 
dered and leaped into the sea, and was hauled aboard the 
boats. Thus all were saved, with the exception of one 
corporal and six privates, who left the ranks in their 
fright, and were lost. The hawser was then cast loose, 
and the vessel wallowed for a short time heavily in the 
sea, and then with a heavy lurch went to the bottom. 

At length the gale spent its fury, and the scattered 
vessels, some far out to sea, resumed their course, and, by 
Sabbath evening, fourteen of them were in sight of each 
other, though the flag-ship Wabash was nowhere to be 
seen. 

On Monday these vessels arrived off Port Royal, and 
at noon the "Wabash hove in sight, with the Susquehan- 
nali — which Dupont had taken from blockading duty off 
Charleston harbor — and some thirty-six more of the fleet 
and the gunboats. 

This and the next day, while the gunboats were feel- 
ing their way up the channel and marking it out for the 
passage of the larger vessels, three rebel gunboats came 
down and attacked them, but were easily driven ofl: 
Preparations were now made to land the troops ; but on 
consultation it was deemed best, for several reasons, that 



ATTACK ON POET EOYAL. 131 

the navy should first attack alone. The fbllowmg day, 
Wednesday, was spent in completing preparations, and 
every thing got ready for action in the morning. 

The two islands of Hilton Head and Bay Point guard 
the entrance of Port Poyal Sound and are nearly three 
miles apart. On the extreme point of these two islands 
two fortifications had been erected — Fort Walker, on 
Hilton Head, mounting twenty-three guns ; and Fort 
Beauregard, on Bay Point, mounting fifteen guns. There 
was, besides, a mortar battery, mounting four guns. 

Thursday morning dawned calm and beautiful, and 
the waters of the bay flashed like a mirror in the early 
moonlight. At nine o'clock the signal from the Wabash 
to get under way was run up, and thirteen vessels, the 
Wabash leading, moved majestically off toward the bat- 
teries. Dupont could get none of his large frigates up, 
and the battle was to be fought by the Wabash, Susque- 
hanna, Mohican, Seminole, Pawnee, Unadilla, Pembina, 
Bienville, Seneca, Curlew, Penguin, Ottawa, and Van- 
dalia. In single file, with ports open and bristling with 
heavy guns, these vessels swept rapidly up toward Fort 
Walker, presenting a majestic spectacle. Beyond the 
entrance of the harbor lay the little rebel fleet, under 
command of Tatnall, formerly of our navy, and, still far- 
ther in, a fleet of steamers loaded with spectators, that 
had come down from Charleston to witness the destruc- 
tion of the Yankee fleet. Dupont, in the Wabash, led 
the imposing column, and every eye watched with the in- 
tensest interest his movements, as he steadily approached 
the low silent structure on Hilton Head. As he came 
near, it poured in a tremendous fire, but Dupont kept on 
in dead silence, till the second steamer came abreast, 
when the three forward vessels opened at once with their 



132 EEAE-ADMIEAL S. F. DUPOTH:. 

powerful broadsides, and the shot and shell from seventy- 
five guns fell in one wild crash on the fort. Dupont had 
determined to fight the forts -while in motion, so as not to 
let his wooden vessels be stationary targets for the enemy's 
fire ; and, having delivered his broadsides, moved on. Each 
vessel as it came opposite the fort delivered its broadside, 
so that there was no cessation to t«he fire till the whole had 
passed. Having got beyond the fort, Dupont wheeled, 
still followed by the vessels in single file, and poured his 
fire into Fort Beauregard. Thus these thirteen vessels 
moved in the form of a flat letter O, flaming and thunder- 
ing all the while with a power and terror indescribable. 
An eighty-pound rifle ball went clean through the main- 
mast of the Wabash, making an ugly hole. Another 
pierced her after-magazine, letting the water into it, yet she 
still kept on her sublime way, proudly leading the long file 
of flaming ships. Captain E;Ogers, acting as aid to Du- 
pont, says : " The Wabash was a destroying angel — ^Img- 
ging the shore ; calling the soundings with cold indiffer- 
ence ; slowing the engine so as only to give steerage 
way ; signalling the vessels their various evolutions ; and 
at the same time raining shell, as with target practice, too 
fast to count. Shell fell in the fort, not twenty-eight in a 
minute, but as fast as a horse's feet beat the ground in a 
gallop. The resistance was heroic, but what could flesh 
and blood do against such a fire ? I watched two men 
particularly, in red shirts; I saw them seated at the 
muzzle of a gun, apparently waiting, exhausted, for more 
ammunition. They were so still that I doubted w^hether 
they were men. This terrible fire fell around them — I 
saw them move, and I knew they were men. They 
loaded the gun — a shell burst near them, and they 
dropped, doubtless blown to atoms." 



THE VICTORY. 133 

In the mean time the gunboats, having found that 
in a cove they could get an enfilading fire on Hilton 
Head, took up their position there, and rendered good 
service. A little after noon the sifmal " cease firino; " 
was made from the flag-ship, and the steamers swept 
beyond the reach of the batteries to rest the men 
and give them some refreshment before returning to 
their terribly exhausting work. The gunboats, however, 
from their enfilading position, kept up a galling fire. 
About three o'clock, just as the vessels were getting 
ready for action again, the rebel flag was struck. 
The firing ceased, and Captain Rogers jumped into a 
boat lowered from the flag-ship, and rowed swiftly 
toward the shore. He found the works deserted, the 
ramparts desolate, and planted the stars and stripes 
upon them. 

When the thousands on board the fleet, who for five 
long hours had watched the terrible conflict, saw our 
flag go up, the excitement was unbounded. Many of the 
officers wept like children, but a wild enthusiasm over- 
rode every other feeling, and from ship to ship, down the 
whole mighty fleet, there went up a cheer such as never 
before stirred the placid waters of that bay, while the 
various bands struck up " The Star-spangled Banner," 
making the air ring with the stirring strains. Upon see- 
ing this fort abandoned, the garrison of the other left 
also and fled inland. 

A portion of the troops were now landed, and Gen- 
eral Sherman assumed command of the place, and issued 
a proclamation to the people of the State of South Caro- 
lina. This was General T. W. Sherman, not W. T. 
Sherman, the hero of Atlanta. Savannah could proba- 
bly have been taken at this time, had he marched 



134 BEAR- ADMIRAL S. F. DUPONT. 

promptly forward, sucli was the terror occasi Dned by this 
victory of Dupont. His orders, however, were to fortify 
himself there, build piers, docks, &c., and fit up the port 
for a naval depot. 

Port Royal, from this time through the war, sus- 
tained a prominent position in all our naval movements 
along the Atlantic coast. 

The victory created the wildest enthusiasm through- 
out the North, The national flag had been planted on 
the traitorous soil of South Carolina, never to be dis- 
placed till every stronghold of the State was in our pos- 
session. Dupont at once became the hero of the day. 
Naval men were especially delighted. Our ill-successes 
on land thus far had been a cause of deep mortification, 
and this first great essay of the navy recalled to mind the 
halo of glory it hung round the nation during the first 
year of the second war with England, when successive 
defeats on land made the people's cheeks crimson with 
shame. Whenever one met a naval man the eye of the 
latter brightened, and with a proud shake of the head he 
would say, " I told you how it would be when the ' blue 
jackets' got a chance." "Ah! we are all sure of the 
navy," was the common remark. It is said that Com- 
modore Barron, then a prisoner in Fort Warren, when 
he read a description of the fight, and how^ gallantly his 
old ship, the Wabash, bore herself, forgot he was a 
rebel prisoner, and exclaimed, "By heavens! our navy 
can beat the world." 

Dupont's career was now one of continued success 
alono- the coast. Fort Clinch surrendered — the first na- 
tional fort reclaimed. Captain Drayton, sending a boat's 
crew on shore to raise the American flag, pushed on to 
Old Fernandina, v/here a white flag was displayed. Short- 



GUNBOATS AGAINST EAILEOAD TRAINS. 135 

\y after, and when passing New Fernandina, a few rifle- 
shots were fired from some bushes, and a raih^oad train was 
perceived just starting. As it was naturally supposed to 
contain soldiers escaping, he directed Lieutenant-Command- 
ing Stevens to try and stop it ; and the road passing for 
some distance near the river, "and we going at full speed, 
there was an opportunity of firing several shots at the 
two locomotives attached to the train, which, however, 
did not prevent its escape across the railroad bridge, which 
is four miles from the town, and it was soon lost in the 
woods on the other side. We afterwards found on the 
track the bodies of two men who had been killed by our 
shots, one of whom was a soldier ; and the report was 
that ex-Senator Yulee was on board one of the cars, and 
had also been struck, but this, I think, was a mistake." 
Thus was presented the novel spectacle of a vessel-of- 
war attacking a railroad train. 

Dupont also visited the coast of Florida, and captured 
St. Augustine, keeping the whole Southern seaboard in 
a state of alarm. The slaves crov/ded to the protection 
of his flag, and were left sole occupants of their late 
masters' plantations. 

The waters of Warsaw and Ossibaw Sounds, Bruns- 
wick, Darien, and other places, owned the sway of his flag, 
and the whole coast of Georgia was held by his squad- 
ron. At the siege of Pulaski, one of the batteries on 
shore was under the command of the officers and crew 
of the Wabash. He also seized Stone Inlet and River, 
and thus secured a base of operations against Charleston, 
and maintained the blockade with a rio-or not before 

o 

exhibited, and did all a man could do Yvdth the limited 
means in his power. 

In 1862 he was made one of the nine active rear- 



136 EEAK-ADMIRAL S. F. DUPONT. 

admirals. In January of tlie next year occurred the fa- 
mous raid of two rebel rams on his blockading squadron 
off Charleston Harbor. As so many conflicting statements 
have been given of this affair, we insert the accounts of 
the two commanders, whose vessels alone were seriously 
injured. The captain of the Mercedita says, under date 
of the last day of January : 



Sie: I have to report tbat, at 4.25 this morning, two iron-dad rams, from 
Charleston, in the obscurity of a thick haze, and the moon having just set, 
succeeded in passing the bar, near ship channel, unperceived by the squad- 
ron, and made an attack upon this ship, being first encountered. 

Particular vigilance was exhibited by officers and men in expedition of 
vessels to run the blockade. 

At 3 A. M., we had slipped cable and overhauled a troop steamer, running 
for the channel by mistake. At 4, I laid down. Lieut. Commander Abbott 
was on deck giving orders to Acting Master Dwyer about recovering the 
anchor, when they saw a smoke and the faint appearance of a vessel close at 
hand. I heard them exclaim, " She has black smoke ; " " watch, man the 
guns," " spring the rattle," " call all hands to quarters." Mr. Dwyer came to 
the cabin door, telling me a steamboat was close aboard. I was then in the 
act of getting my pea-jacket, and slipped it on as I followed liim out ; jumped 
to poop ladder, saw smoke and a low boat, apparently a tug, although I 
thought it might be a little propeller for the squadron. 

I sang out, " Train your guns right on him, and be ready to fire as soon 
as I order." I hailed, " Steamer ahoy ! Steer clear of us and heave-to. 
AVhat steamer is that ? " Then ordered my men, " Fire on him." Told him, 
" You will be into us. "What steamer is that ? " His answer to first or sec- 
ond hail was, " Hallo ! " The other replies were indistinct, either by inten- 
tion or from being spoken inside of his mail armor, until in the act of 
striking us with his prow, when he said, "This is the Confederate States 
steam ram." I repeated the order, " Fire ! fire ! " but no gun could be trained 
on him, as he approached on the quarter, struck us just abaft our aforemost 
S2-pounder gun, and fired a heavy rifle through us diagonally, penetrating 
the starboard side through our Normandy condenser, the steam-drum of port 
boiler, and exploding against port side of ship, blowing a hole in its exit 
some four or five feet square. 

The vessel was instantly filled and enveloped with steam. Eeports were 
brought to me, "Shot through both boilers," "fires put out by steam 
and water," "gunner and one man killed, and a number of men fatally 
^jcalded, water over fire-room floor, vessel sinking fast." " The ram has cut 



EAID OF THE EAMS. 137 

OS througli at and below water-line on one side, and the shell has burst at 
the other almost at water-edge." 

After the ram struck, she swung round under our starboard counter, her 
prow touching, and hailed, " Surrender, or I'll sink you ! Do you surren- 
der ? " And after receiving reports, I answered, " I can make no resistance ; 
my boiler is destroyed." " Then, do you surrender? " I said, " Yes ; " hav- 
ing found my moving power destroyed, and that I could bring nothing to 
bear but muskets against his shot-proof coating. 

lie hailed several times to send a boat, and threatened to fire again. 
After some delay, a boat was lowered, and Lieut. Commander Abbott asked 
if he should go in her, and asked for orders what to say. I told him to see 
what they demanded, and to tell him the condition we were in. 

He proceeded aboard, and, according to their demand, gave his parole on 
behalf of himself and all the officers and crew. His report accompanies 
this. The ram having been detained half an hour or more, ran out for 
steamer Keystone State, which vessel and three others we had tried to 
alarm by lights. We saw a shell explode as it hit the ram, without injuring 
her. Saw the Keystone State was hit several times, and saw the smoke and 
steam pouring from her. The firing then receded to nortliward and east- 
ward, and was pretty brisk at the head of the line. 

The Keystone State, commanded by Le Roy, was 
also disabled, and claimed as a prize by the rebels. The 
details of the fight are thus given by the commander : 

Between four and five a. m., 31st January, 1863, a gun was fired near, 
and supposed to be the Mercedita, and some lights were seen. Soon after 
discovered a dark object a little aliead of her, and then a column of black 
smoke was noticed rising from the vessel, but I supposed was either a tug 
out from Charleston or some stranger passing along. Another column of 
black smoke was seen more to the north and east of the Mercedita. My 
suspicions aroused, I ordered the forward rifle trained upon the first steamer, 
which was standing toward this ship, also other guns to be ready. Gave 
notice to the engineer of the watch to be ready to move, and, the steamers 
drawing nearer, ordered the cable slipped, and enough motion to get com- 
mand of the ship. By this time the stranger was abreast the starboard 
waist. On hailing, " What steamer is that? " the reply was, "Hallo! " fol- 
lowed by some words that were unintelligible. Satisfied, from the view ob- 
tained through my night glasses, that the steamer was a ram, I ordered the 
starboard bow gun fired at her, which was at once responded to by a shot 
from the stranger, when I ordered the starboard battery fired as soon as the 
guns could be brought to bear, putting the helm aport. On heading to the 
northward and eastward, discovered a ram on either quarter. Soon after 



138 EEAE- ADMIRAL S. F. DTJPONT. 

the first gun, fire was reported forward below. After extinguishing It, fire 
was again reported in the same place, when the ship was kept off seaward to 
enable us to put out the fire and get things in a condition to attack the 
enemy. Ordered full steam, and about daylight discovered black smoke and 
stood for it, for the purpose of running her down, exchanging shots rapidly 
with her, striking her repeatedly, but making no impression, while every 
shot from her was striking us. About 6.17 a.m., a shell, entering on the port 
side, forward of the forward guard, destroyed the steam chimneys, filling all 
the forward part of the ship with steam. The port boUer emptied of its con- 
tents, the ship gave a heel to starboard, nearly down to the guard, and the 
water from the boiler, and two shot-holes under water, led to the impression 
the ship was filling and sinking, a foot and a half water being reported in 
the hold. Owing to the steam, men were unable to get supplies of ammuni- 
tion from forward. Ordered all boats ready for lowering. Signal-books 
thrown overboard, also some small arms. The ram being so near, and the 
ship helpless, and the men being slaughtered by almost every discharge of 
the enemy, I ordered the colors to be hauled down, but finding the enemy 
were still firing upon us, directed the colors to be rehoisted and resume our 
fire from the after-battery. Now the enemy, either injured, or to avoid 
the squadron approaching, sheered off towards the harbor, exchanging shots 
with the Ilousatonic, which vessel was in chase. Put fore-and-aft sail on the 
ship, sent yards aloft and bent sails ; there being no wind, drifted along to 
the north and east, when the Memphis took us in tow. Our surgeon being 
killed, the surgeon of the Memphis came on board. Having accomplished 
this much, the rams returned to the harbor. Beauregard issued a proclama- 
tion declaring the blockade destroyed, and that foreign governments should 
so regard it. The pompous manifesto was not regarded by Dupont, and he 
continued the blockade. 

Many blockade runners were captured by Dupont du- 
ring the year, and he had the entire confidence of the 
Navy Department and the people. 

The successful fight of the Monitor with the Merri- 
mac threatened an entire revolution in maritime conflicts, 
especially in harbor warfare, and Secretary Welles imme- 
diately set about having a fleet of these vessels made, 
which he believed would put every port on the coast in 
our possession. In addition to these, a powerful iron-clad, 
the Ironsides, was built, and, in the spring of 1863, was 
ready for service. When the fleet was completed, it was 



ATTACK ON- CHAELESTOIT. 139 

determined the first essay of its strength should be 
against Fort Sumter, in Charleston harbor. Of its suc- 
cess no one seemed to entertain a doubt, for the impene- 
trability of these vessels to shot was assumed, while it 
was believed that no mason- work ever built by man could 
long withstand the tremendous weight of metal they could 
hurl from their monster guns, the like of which had never 
before been used on ships of war. This fleet was com- 
posed of nine vessels, and placed under the command of 
Admiral Dupont. 

Having rendezvoused in Port Koyal, he sailed from 
there on the 1st of April, 1863, to try the great experi- 
ment of the century, and the next day arrived at the 
embouchure of the Edisto river. The water over Charles- 
ton bar not being of sufficient depth m ordinary times to 
float them, the heavy spring tides of April, which gave 
a foot more of water, was selected for the passage of the 
vessels. On Sunday morning at daybreak the fleet 
moved out to sea, and in a few hours lay ofi" Charleston 
harbor. The next day Dupont transferred his flag to 
the Ironsides, and the fleet, taking the flood-tide, passed 
safely over the bar, and came to anchor inside. The 
wooden vessels lay outside as a reserve. The rebels hav- 
ing destroyed all the old land-marks by which pilots were 
guided, the channel had to be buoyed out, which was suc- 
cessfully done by Mr. Boutelle of the Coast Survey. But 
just as everything was ready, a thick haze settled down 
over the water, obscuring the range, so that the attack had 
to be postponed. On the 7th, however, a gentle northerly 
breeze dissipated the mist, and the bay and forts and 
distant city lay basking in the clear sunshine. Just two 
years before, this month, the national flag v/as hauled 
down on Fort Sumter, and now it was universally be- 



140 EEAE- ADMIRAL S. F. DUPONT. 

lieved that its anniversary day would be celebrated by 
salutes from national cannon from the same spot and to 
the same flag. 

The officers of the navy, however, were not so sanguine. 
Dupont, like Farragut, had not unbounded faith in iron 
clads, least of all in unwieldy monitors. As through 
his glass he surveyed the work before him, he saw that his 
little fleet was to be put into a crucible to which no ves- 
sels before had ever been subjected. Steeples and roofs, 
in the far background, and the neighboring shores, were 
lined with spectators, assembled to witness the Titanic 
struggle. As Dupont's eye swept around that bristling 
harbor, it was cannon here, and there, and everywhere. 
In front, lay Sullivan's Island to the right, and Morris 
Island on the left, the two points curving in towards each 
other till they approached within a mile. Midway in the 
channel between them, built on an artificial island, stood 
Fort Sumter. Fort Moultrie, on Sullivan's Island, was 
opposite Sumter, while, above and below, batteries were 
erected on every available point. On the left, opposite 
this central fortress, stood battery Bee, on Cummings- 
Point, while beyond, should the vessels ever get there, 
battery succeeded battery, clear up to the city, three miles 
distant. Stretching down towards the fleet were other 
batteries on Morris Island, and among them Fort Wag- 
ner. The sight was enough to daunt the stoutest heart, 
for uncounted cannon lay shotted and aimed, ready to 
open on that little fleet. It was Dupont's purpose to 
pass as quickly as possible up the channel, and get to the 
west and northwest of Fort Sumter, which was knoAvn 
to be less impregnable than the front face. That there 
would be great difficulty in reaching this desirable point 
was well known, for it had been ascertained that torpe- 



THE FIGHT. 141 

does, and all sorts of obstacles which eno-ineerino; skill could 
invent, had been sunk in the channel opposite the fort. 
To remove these Ericsson had invented a machine which 
was to be fastened to the bow of the leading vessel, and 
pushed up amid this net of obstructions, exploding and 
pulling up whatever might arrest the passage of the 
ships. 

At noon, the signal from the flag-ship to move to the 
attack was seen, and the little fleet, looking like mere 
rafts on the water, steamed slowly forward. There was 
none of the pomp or splendor of grand old frigates, tower- 
ing proudly over the deep, in these low black monitors, 
creeping slowly to the conflict. 

It was four miles to Fort Sumter, and the batteries 
of Morris Island commanded the whole distance. The 
vessels had advanced but a short distance before the 
Weehawken, leading the way with the strange machine 
in front, stopped, having got tangled up with the un- 
wieldy, novel thing. It took an hour to free herself, and 
then the fleet moved on again. The spectators on shore 
gazed with breathless interest on the spectacle, the music in 
Fort Sumter ceased, and the rapid roll of the drum was 
heard beating to quarters, which called every gunner to his 
place. The fleet kept steadily on till opposite Fort Wag- 
ner, where Dupont expected to meet the first blow of the 
hurricane; but all its guns kept motionless and still in 
their places, and only curious eyes greeted the advancing 
vessels. Next they floated by Battery Bee, but silence 
like death reigned over the low works. What does all 
this mean ? This silence is ominous, and shows a confi- 
dence in something yet to come that portends no good. 
Still the fleet kept on ; but just as the Weehawken was 
rounding- to, to make the entrance of the harbor, she came 



142 EEAE-ADMIEAL S. F. DUPONT. 

within the circle of fire from Forts Sumter and Moultrie. 
Then the crater opened from the top of Sumter, and 
dovm came a storm of shot and shell. Moultrie joined 
in, and thunder answered thunder with awful rapidity. 
The heavy metal fell like hailstones on the Weehawken ; 
but she kept steadily on towards her assigned position, 
followed by the whole fleet. But suddenly she stopped 
in the very vortex of the fire. She had run upon a haw- 
ser stretched from Sumter to Moultrie, buoyed up on 
casks, and strung with nets, cables, and torpedoes. Her 
propeller, getting entangled in these, became unmanage- 
able, and she drifted helpless through the wild hurricane. 
The other vessels, as they come up, see the danger, and 
sheer off to try the channel on the other side of the fort. 
But here a row of piles is encountered, rising ten feet out 
of the water — while farther up, the channel is crossed and 
recrossed with obstructions, backed by three iron-clads, 
that can hold those vessels under a fire that nothing that 
ever floated could survive. To add to the perplexity, 
the Ironsides, in the heavy tide, suddenly refused to obey 
her rudder, and she drifted towards Fort Moultrie, get- 
ting foul of the Catskill and Nantucket in her passage. 
The plan of the battle was now irrecoverably gone, and 
Dupont signalled to the fleet to disregard his move- 
ments. It was therefore every one for himself; and then 
was seen what splendid commanders Dupont had to sec- 
ond him in this unprecedented struggle. Five batteries 
were in full play, and nearly three hundred cannon of 
the heaviest metal were trained on those monitors, that 
now had only the simple problem to solve — whether they 
can knock Fort Sumter to pieces v/ith their enormous 
gunh, before they are carried to the bottom under the 
tons of metal that fall with a ceaseless crash upon them. 



A FEAEFUL CONFLICT. 143 

The gallant Rhind, left to act as he pleased, lays the 
Keokuk boldly alongside of the fort as though it ^vere a 
ship, and with his little monitor makes a broadside en- 
gagement of it. Close behind him comes Rodgers in the 
Catskill, and, following hard after, the heroic Worden in 
the Montauk. A little farther off lie the other vessels, all 
seeking to sound the full terrors of this awful abyss of 
fire. Within rifle-shot distance of the nearest batteries, 
they stand and hurl against them their ponderous shells. 
The gunners, stripped to their waists, and begrimed with 
powder and smoke, work their monster guns with a cool- 
ness and rapidity that tells fearfully on the solid face 
of Sumter. Shot weighing four hundred and twenty 
pounds strike like heaven's own thunderbolts the trem- 
bling structure, but they are nothing to the answering 
shots that fall faster than the forge's hammer on their 
sides. The din of this heavy metal striking and bursting 
on every side is infernal, and the deafening explosions 
shake land and sea. It seems one vast volcano, be- 
fore which everything must be engulfed. Nothing 
built with mortal hands could long live there, and in 
thirty minutes the Keokuk came limping out of the fire, 
fast settling in the waters. One of the port shutters of 
the flagship was shot away, exposing her gun deck, 
while a red-hot shot buried itself in her wooden bows. 
The Nahant was soon disfigured with thirty Avounds. 
The Passaic was in the same plight, with her turret so 
knocked to pieces that it could not revolve. The Nan- 
tucket was reduced to one gun, while the Catskill had 
been pierced by a rifled shot. Five of the new iron- 
clads must now be reckoned out of the fight. But what 
thirty-two guns, (the total armament of this fleet,) agamst 
those encirclino; batteries could do had been done, and 



144 EEAK-ADMIKAL S. F. DUPONT. 

now, to put only fifteen or sixteen against thera, was 
do-wnright madness. Besides, night was coming on, and 
so Dupont wisely signalled the fleet to retire. 

During the evening, the commanders of the iron-clads 
came on board the flagship, and Dupont, after a ftill 
rej^ort of the condition of the vessels, decided that it 
would be impossible to take Charleston with them alone. 

From the following statement, made by him to the 
"War Department, the folly of renewing the attempt with 
the same vessels is so apparent, that it is a matter of 
wonder that any one could be found so destitute of com- 
mon judgment as to uphold it : 

" No ship had been exposed to the severest fire of the 
enemy over forty minutes, and yet, in that brief period, 
as the Department will perceive, by the detailed reports 
of the commanding ofiicers, five of the iron-clads were 
wholly or partially disabled ; disabled, too (as the ob- 
structions could not be passed), in that which was most 
essential to our success — I mean, in their armament, or 
power of inflicting injury by their guns. 

" Commander E-hind, in the Keokuk, had only been 
able to fire three times during the short period he was ex- 
posed to the guns of the enemy, and was obliged to with- 
draw from action to prevent his vessel from sinking, 
which event occurred on the following morning. 

" The Nahant, Commander Downes, was most seriously 
damaged, her turret being so jammed as eff"ectually to pre- 
vent its turning ; many of the bolts of both turret and 
pilot-house were broken, and the latter became nearly 
untenable, in consequence of the nuts and ends flying 
across it. 

" Captain P. Drayton, in the Passaic, after the fourth 
fire from her 11-inch gun, was unable to use it again 



HIS EEPOKT. 145 

during the action ; and his turret also became jammed, 
though he was, after some delay, enabled to get it in mo- 
tion again. 

" Commander Ammen, of the Patapsco, lost the use of 
his rifled gun after the fifth fire, owing to the carrying 
away of the forward-cap square bolts. On the Nantucket, 
Commander Fairfax reports that, after the third shot 
from the 15-inch gun, the port stopper became jammed, 
several shot striking very near the port, and driving in 
the plates, preventing the further use of that gun during 
the action. 

" The other iron-clads, though struck many times se- 
verely, were still able to use their guns, but I am convinced 
that, in all probability, in another thirty minutes they 
would have been likewise disabled. 

" Any attempt to pass through the obstructions I have 
referred to would have entangled the vessels, and held 
them under the most severe fire of heavy ordnance that 
has ever been delivered ; and while it is barely possible 
that some vessels might have forced their way through, 
it would only have been to be again impeded by fresh and 
more formidable obstructions, and to encounter other 
powerful batteries, with which the whole harbor of 
Charleston had been lined. 

'' I had hoped that the endurance of the iron-clads 
would have enabled them to have borne any weight of 
fire to which they might have been exposed ; but when I 
found that so large a portion of them were wholly or one- 
half disabled, by less than an hours engagement, before 
attempting to remove (overcome) the obstructions, or test- 
ing the power of the torpedoes, I was convinced that per- 
sistence in the attack would only result in the loss of the 
greater portion of the iron-clad fleet^ and in leaving many 

10 



146 EEAK-AD]\IIEAL S. F. DFPONT. 

of tliem inside the Iiarbor, to fall into the hands of the 
enemy. 

" The slowness of our fire, and our inability to occupy 
any battery that we might silence, or to prevent its being 
restored under cover of night, were difficulties of the 
gravest character, and, until the outer forts should have 
been taken, the army could not enter the harbor or aiford 
me any assistance." 

So unequal was the contest, which lasted less than 
forty minutes, that the entire fleet of iron-clads fired only 
one hundred and thirty-nine shots, "though, during that 
same period, Dupont says the " enemy poured upon us an 
incessant storm of round-shot and shell, rifled projectiles 
of all descriptions, and red-hot shot." 

The whole affair was so palpable and complete a fail- 
ure, that the Department dared not directly blame Du- 
pont for not succeeding. Still, reluctant to acknowledge 
itself any way in fault, it reproached him for not saying 
beforehand, how impossible success was. The simple truth 
is, the Secretary of the Navy, as well as the public gen- 
erally, had come to have such a high opinion of the invul- 
nerability of the iron-clads, that they considered Charles- 
ton as virtually ours, the moment the attack commenced. 
But, instead of complete success, this iron-clad fleet, the 
first ever set afloat and tested, effected absolutely nothing. 
It was too mortifying to confess the fact, without put- 
ting the blame on some one, and so it was placed on the 
commander, Dupont. He felt this keenly, and indignant- 
ly denounced the injustice of it. A correspondent of the 
Baltimore American published such a false statement of 
the whole matter in that paper, that Dupont felt bound, 
in justice to his officers as well as to himself, to notice it, 
which he did in a lengthy review. In a clear, concise 



HIS DEFENCE. 147 

statement of facts, he fixed the charge of deliberate false- 
hood against the writer, leaving no doubt as to the motive 
that instigated the base attack. In conclusion he says, 
"I now take leave of this, the most odious subject that I 
ever had occasion to notice. Some other assertions of 
Mr. Fulton, which might be flatly contradicted, I have 
not discussed, nor have I thought it worth while to con- 
sider his opinions upon purely professional points. To 
undergo the fire of the enemy and the stabs of an assas- 
sin of character, at one and the same time, is too much 
for my philosophy ; and, for further protection against as- 
saults of the latter kind, I look for and expect the coun- 
tenance of the Department." 

Chief-Engineer Stimers joined in the attack on Du- 
pont, and, in the steamer Arago, on which he was a 
passenger on his way North, indulged in such unwar- 
rantable language towards his commander, that the latter 
brought charges against him, and he was court-martialled. 
Though no definite result was reached, the public has 
long since rendered its verdict in the matter. A lengthy 
correspondence also followed between Dupont and the 
Secretary of the Navy, and, although the latter avoided 
all direct accusation, the tone of his letters wounded 
the chivalrous old Admiral, who felt that he was being 
made the scapegoat of other men's sins. He felt espe- 
cially the censure pronounced against him, some time 
afterwards, for allowing the guns of the sunken Keokuk 
to fall into the hands of the rebels, for which he was in 
no wise to blame ; and, said in a letter to the Secretary of 
the Navy : 

" Having indulged the hope that my command, 
covering a period of twenty-one months afloat, had not 
been without results, I was not prepared for a contin- 



148 EEAK-ADmEAL S. F. DUPONT. 

uance of that censure from the Department which has 
characterized its letters to me since monitors failed to 
take Charleston. 

" I can only add now, that, to an officer of my temper- 
ament — whose sole aim has been to do his whole duty, 
and who has passed through fort3^-seven years of service 
■without a word of reproof — these censures of the Navy 
Department would be keenly felt if I did not know they 
were wholly undeserved." 

This was a little evasive ; for " he did feel them 
keenly, although they ivere undeserved." The injustice 
stun 2; him, ao-ainst which there was no redress. Brave 
and chivalrous himself as a knight of the olden time, 
this deliberate infliction of wrong by others, in order to 
shield themselves, wounded most deeply his sensitive 
nature. 

It ended — as all such affairs must end — in the resig- 
nation or removal of the commander, and the ultimate 
condemnation and exposure of those who are really the 
guilty parties. 

In June, Dupont was relieved from his command, 
and Admiral Foote ordered to take his place. The lat- 
ter, however, was taken sick in New York, just as he was 
about to leave for his destination, and died. 

After the failure to take Charleston A\^th the iron- 
clads. General Hunter, who was in command of the land 
forces operating against the city, forwarded the most se- 
rious complaints against Dupont, for not cooperating 
with him, as he desired, in his contemplated movements 
to take the place. He declares that he has " exercised 
patience with the Admiral," asks to be liberated from the 
order to cooperate with the navy, &c., &c., and he would 
raise colored regiments — take Charleston — in fact, electrify 



HIS PERSONAL APPEARANCE. 149 

tlie nation. His after career shows how much he prob- 
ably would have accomplished. 

The sudden death of Admiral Foote compelled the De- 
partment to reverse its order of removal, and to direct 
Dupont to resume his command. During the short inter- 
val that elapsed before he was succeeded by Admiral 
Dahlgren, he sent the Weehawken and Nahant down 
to Warsaw Sound to look after the rebel ram Atlanta, 
which was reported to be a most formidable vessel. They 
succeeded in capturing her on the 17th of June. The 
next month, Dupont returned to Delaware, and was no 
more afloat during the war. 

Dupont was a superb man physically ; of grand and 
imposing presence, he trod the deck of his battle-ship 
like one of Nature's noblemen. Even those accustomed 
to see men of distinguished personal appearance in va- 
rious parts of the world, were struck with the majesty 
and grandeur of his mien. A gentleman of the old 
school, or rather a knight of the olden time, his bearing 
was that of dignified courtesy to all, and impressed every 
one that approached him with profound respect. Chiv- 
alrous in his own feelings, he was incapable of wound- 
ing those of others, while he was keenly sensitive to any 
censure upon his conduct. Insensible to fear, he never 
shrunk from encountering any danger, while he was too 
lofty and noble to rush into it to obtain mere notoriety. 
Master of his profession, he knew his duty better than 
the Department that censured him, and experienced his 
greatest humiliation and suffering in performing it. 
Proud as he was sensitive, he could not brook unmerited 
rebuke. Irritated at his manly independence, the Gov- 
ernment lost one of its best ofiicers by gratifying its 
spleen, and under the pretence of maintaining its dig- 



150 eear-ad:mieal s. f. dupont. 

nity. Dupont's name, however, will live long after those 
who persecuted him are consigned to forgetfulness, or 
to an immortality worse than oblivion. 





R E JS.7L AI; V A , H . 1- u o Y £ . 



^ngraT-eiexpressIy foraeadleys TJ'aTai^ffork. 



CHAPTER VI. 

REAR-ADMIRAL ANDREW HULL FOOTE. 

HIS NATIVITY, ANCESTRY, AND EAELY EDUCATION, — ENTEE3 THE NAVY. — FIRST 
CRUISE. — SECOND CRUISE, TTNDEE COMMODORE HULL. — THIRD CRUISE TO 
THE WEST INDIES. — A GREAT CHANGE IN HIS CHARACTER. — DEDICATES 
HIS LIFE TO GOD. — VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. — BECOMES THE CHASI- 
PION OF THE PERSECUTED MISSIONARIES OF THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. — 
APPOINTED OVER THE NAVAL ASYLUM OF PHILADELPHIA. — GETS THE IN- 
MATES TO GIVE UP THEIR GROG. — CRUISE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. — 
PREACHES TO THE SAILORS. — LAID UP WITH SORE EYES. — COMMANDS THE 
SLOOP OF WAR PORTSMOUTH, ON THE EAST INDIA STATION. — BOMBARDS 
CHINESE FORTS. — COMMANDS THE BROOKLYN NAVY YARD ON THE BREAK- 
ING OUT OF THE REBELLION. — SENT WEST TO ORGANIZE A FLOTILLA ON 
THE MISSISSIPPI. — CAPTURES FORT HENRY. — ATTACK! ON FORT DONALD- 
SON.— IS WOUNDED. — SUBSEQUENT OPERATIONS ON THE TENNESSEE AND 
CUMBERLAND RIVERS.— PHELPS' REPORT. — ADVANCE AGAINST COLUMBUS. — 
OPERATIONS AROUND ISLAND NO. 10. — PASSAGE OF THE BATTERIES BY THE 
CORONDELET. — MOVES AGAINST MEMPHIS. — IS RELIEVED TO RECRUIT HIS 
HEALTH. — DOMESTIC AFFLICTIONS. — OUR BUREAU OF EQUIPMENT AND NAVI- 
GATION AT WASHINGTON. — MADE REAR -ADMIRAL. PLACED OVER THE 

SOUTH ATLANTIC BLOCKADING SQUADRON. — HIS DEATH AND CHARACTER. 

Some men go through life without ever meeting the 
circumstances adapted to call forth their greatest powers, 
while others seem born for those into which they are 
thrown, and become great men or leaders in the nation. 
On the other hand, some, ajDparently, just enter on their 
true career in life as that life is drawinir to a close. 



152 EEAE- ADMIRAL ANDEEW HULL FOOTE. 

To the latter class Admiral Foote belonged, for his sun 
was just rising, when it set forever on the earth, and the 
waves of that mighty struggle, in which he seemed des- 
tined to bear so conspicuous a part, rolled over his grave. 

Andrew Foote, like so many of our great men, did not 
spring from obscure parentage. He was bom in New 
Haven, Connecticut, on the 12th of September, 1806, 
and was the second son of Samuel A. Foote, a graduate 
of Yale College, and a lawyer by profession ; but who, at 
the time of the birth of this second son, was a merchant en- 
gaged in the West India trade. He was distinguished in 
the political world, having served several times as mem- 
ber of Congress from his district, and once as senator from 
the State. He was subsequently elected governor. 

The grandfather of Andrew was for fifty years pas- 
tor of the church of Cheshire, a beautiful villao;e about 
thirteen miles from New Haven. Here his father was 
born ; and here, having acquired the means of a com- 
fortable subsistence, he returned to live in the old home- 
stead. Andrew was six years old when his father took 
up his home in this quiet village, and for three years 
afterwards attended the district school. He was then 
sent to the academy of the place, an institution of great 
reputation, and presided over by the learned E,ev. Tillot- 
son Bronson, D. D. 

He remained in this school for six years, or until he 
was fifteen years of age. During all this period he was un- 
der the strict religious discipline characteristic at that time 
of Connecticut, and other portions of New England. The 
rod had not then been banished from the parental roof, 
and young Andrew often felt its weight, as wielded by 
his mother ; she convinced, him by irrefragable proof, that 
" he that spareth the rod hateth his son.*" She was the 



HIS EAELY TRAimNG. 153 

daughter of General Andrew Hull, a militia general, and 
gave her father s name to the boy. He was not allowed 
to play out evenings — forbidden to quarrel, or dicker, as 
it was called, and allowed very little spending money. 
Laziness was always punished with an extra amount of 
work. The Bible, the catechism, and the strict laws of 
Connecticut, were made equally binding on him when 
tempted to commit any of the grosser vices, such as vio- 
lation of the Sabbath, attending the circus, &c. The 
old New England Sabbath began on Saturday evening 
at sunset, and ended at the same time on Sunday evening. 
During these twenty-four hours the ancient Jews were 
not more strict than were the parents of Andrew. The 
close restraint was irksome to him, as it always must be 
to all boys, and an older brother says, " I doubt whether 
the Admiral ever watched for stars in a storm, or on a 
lee-shore, with more interest than he was wont, when a 
boy, to watch for them of a Sunday evening, as a signal 
that he might begin play.'' 

In the rigid old puritanic way, which has produced so 
many valiant men, the future Admiral was brought up. 

At this early age, he had determined to enter the Navy 
and pass his life on the sea. Perhaps his father s accounts 
of his voyages to the West Indies may have had some- 
thing to do with his desire to become a sailor; but more 
probably the astonishing victories of our young Navy, 
when he was fourteen or fifteen years old, were the prin- 
cipal cause. The names of Hull, Bainbridge, Lawrence, 
Decatur, Perry, Macdonough, and others, made the land 
rock with loud huzzas, which were quite enough to set 
every ambitious youth crazy after a sea-faring life. 

Be this as it may, Andrew was fixed in his desire to 
enter the Navy, and, though his parents, especially the 



154 EEAE-ADMIEAL ANDREW HULL FOOTE. 

mother, o^^posed it by every argument and inducement in 
their power, yet, seeing that he was inflexibly set that 
way, at last wisely yielded. His father, caving to his 
political influence, was able to procure for him a midship- 
man's berth, and he was ordered to report on board the 
schooner Grampus, under the command of Lieutenant, 
late Admiral Gregory. He had now completed his six- 
teenth year — a time when life wears only a rose color to 
the imagination. His father accompanied him on board 
and presented him to his commander, with a formality 
common to that time. Said he to the lieutenant : "I have 
come to put my boy under your care, not only as a com- 
mander, but as a friend. He is capable, and I believe he 
is pure-minded. I hope you will watch over him as 
carefully and kindly as if he were your brother or son." 
His parting address to his boy was more lengthy. With 
true New England fiiithfulness, he charged him to remem- 
ber the principles in which he had been brought up, and 
do nothing that should make his parents, who had 
watched over and prayed for him, blush; and with 
grand old puritanic solemnity bade " him remember his 
duty to his country and to his God." Grave and stern 
externally, his heart yet overflowed with parental tender- 
ness, and the tears rolled down his cheeks as he bade his 
boy good-bye, and sent him away to the perils of the deep 
and into the temptations of a sailor''s life. Andrew soon 
shook off" his grief at parting, and entered on his new life, 
not only with all the ardor of youth, but with visions of 
glory directly before him, for the Grampus was to sail for 
the West India station, in the limits of which — the Gulf 
of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea^ — a piratical craft was 
then lurking. But the deadly grapple and glorious vic- 
tor}- over these robbers of the sea, which excited his youth- 



HIS CONVEKSION. 155 

fill imagination, never took place ; and, after a years 
cruise, he returned home. He was now transferred to 
the sloop-of-war Peacock, of glorious memory, which was 
ordered to the Pacific Ocean. At Callao he was trans- 
ferred to the frigate United States, the flagship of Com- 
modore Isaac Hull. The education of the commanders 
who distinguished themselves during the recent war, 
under those who gave our navy its renown, doubtless had 
much to do in forming their characters. A son would as 
soon dishonor his father, as one of these officers the great 
commander under whom he had served. 

He was absent over three years on this cruise, com- 
pleting his naval education and enlarging his experience, 
and returned to New York in the spring of 1837. Re- 
ceiving a short furlough, he now returned home, no longer 
a boy, but a full-grown, developed young man. For a 
time the haunts and scenes of his boyhood — the old 
home — the old schoolhouse, and the old church, and 
friends, made his time pass pleasantly. But years of active 
life soon rendered idleness irksome to him, and he was glad 
when the time came again for him to return to his ship. 

He now applied to be attached to the Mediterranean 
squadron, for he longed to see the Old World. His re- 
quest was, however, denied, and he was once more ordered 
to the West Indies. Repairing to Norfolk, he sailed in 
the latter part of summer, in the sloop-of-war Natches, for 
his destination. This cruise was not a long one, and in 
December he returned in the sloop-of-war Hornet. 

During this short interval, however, a great change 
had passed over him. One of the lieutenants was a re- 
ligious man, and took occasion, before they sailed, to speak 
with him on the subject of personal Christianity. Young 
Foote, proud and averse to such conversation — enough 



156 EEAE-ADMIEAL ANDREW HULL TOOTE. 

of which he thought he had had in his boyhood — closed 
the interview abruptly by informing him that he intended 
to do what was right and honorable, and that was enough 
for him. Of a generous and manly nature, he afterwards 
felt that he had been uncivil in treating a kind and 
well-meant act with such coldness, not to say rudeness. 

It so happened, that, after they had reached their 
station, he and this lieutenant were on duty on deck 
the same night. It was a beautiful evening — the full 
moon was tranquilly sailing through the cloudless heav- 
ens, shedding a flood of golden light on the gently-heaving 
sea, and revealing a scene of beauty never witnessed ex- 
cept in those tropical regions. It was a night and scene 
well calculated to hush all the angry feelings, and fill the 
heart with sad and gentle musings. After a while, he 
himself introduced the conversation he had so curtly 
closed before, when his friend talked long and earnestly 
on the subject so dear to his own heart. His words had 
a strange power amid the tranquil beauty of that night. 

So deep was the impression made on young Foote, 
that, after the watch was over and he found himself alone, 
he fell on his knees in prayer, for the first time since he 
was a sailor. He took up his Bible, and for tAvo weeks 
he continued to read this, now to him a new book. He 
had just entered on the great struggle of his life, and 
truths he had scarcely thought of before, came back 
upon him with overwhelming power. He knew that 
prayers at home were ascending for him, and he added 
his own for light and guidance. The old church and the 
old pastor were far away, and he must fight this great 
moral battle alone with his God. 

At length, one day, after an hour of solitary reading 
and thinking, he arose and went on deck. The clouds 



HIS GREATEST VICTORY. 157 

and darkness seemed to gather thicker and thicker around 
him, when suddenly there arose in his heart the resolu- 
tion, " Henceforth, under all circumstances, I will act for 
God." The struggle was over; the victory won — the 
most important of his life — and light and peace beamed 
on his soul. The greatest battles are not fought on the 
deep, amid the thunder of cannon and the crashing of 
timbers, nor on the bloody plain, where armies reel and 
go down in the onset ; but on the field of the human 
heart, unseen by mortal eye, and over which no peans 
are sung, except the voiceless one : " To him that over- 
cometh, I will give to eat of the tree of life." There, too, 
are the greatest defeats encountered, from the disastrous 
effects of which there is no rallying and no recovery. 

In this new state of mind his thoughts turned at 
once to that mother who had so often prayed with him, 
and wept over him, and he at once wrote to her, com- 
mencing his letter with: "Dear Mother, — ^You may dis- 
charge your mind from anxiety about your wayward son ; 
he is safe for eternity as well as for time." The effect of 
that letter no one can describe — next to the joy that the 
angels felt, was the joy of that dear mother, and her mute 
song of praise had in it the harmony of the upper skies. 

At the close of this voyage, Foote prepared himself 
for examination as passed midshipman, and was pro- 
moted. During this interval he was married to a young 
lady of Cheshire, named Caroline Flagg, daughter of 
Bethuel Flagg. 

The next year, Feb. 1829, he sailed in the sloop-of- 
war St. Louis, for another cruise in the Pacific. During 
his absence he was commissioned as lieutenant. He re- 
turned home in 1831. 

Two years after, his desire to visit the Old "World 



158 EEAE- ADMIRAL ANDREW HULL FOOTE. 

was gratified, and he sailed in the frigate Delaware for 
the Mediterranean, which, on her way out, carried Ed- 
ward Livingston, the newly-aj^pointed Minister to France. 

During this cruise, which lasted between two and 
three years, he acted as flag-lieutenant. 

He returned in 1836. In 1838, he was transferred 
to the frigate Columbia, Commodore Read, which, with the 
sloop- of- war John Adams, sailed on the 6th of May, for 
the island of Madeira. From this point the voyage was 
continued by way of Rio Janeiro and Cape of Good 
Hope to China, thence on to Valparaiso and around Cape 
Horn, and so home — making the circuit of the world. 

He took great interest in the missionary stations at 
the Sandwich Islands and in the China Sea. 

The vessels reached the Sandmch Islands in the heat 
of the conflict between the missionaries and Captain 
La Place, who had been sent out by the French Govern- 
ment to compel the Hawaiian Chief to sign a treaty, 
which permitted Romish priests, contrary to his express 
command, to reside on the island, and French brandy 
to be imported. Foote, after investigating the matter, 
warmly espoused the cause of the missionaries, whom the 
French commander had included with the chief in his 
persecutions. He advised them to appeal to Commodore 
Read, and ask for a court of inquiry to investigate their 
conduct, which had been grossly misrepresented. The 
commodore did not feel authorized to take such a step, 
and the request was denied. 

Foote, though he must act alone and take all the re- 
sponsibility of his conduct, nevertheless determined to 
make another effort in behalf of the missionaries, for he 
felt that he owed not only a duty to them as citizens, but 
as servants of his Master above ; and he drew up a paper 



AIDS THE MISSIONAEIES. 159 

exonerating the missionaries and expressing the utmost 
confidence in the good influence of the mission. He 
also 2:ave a clear and full account of the outraws of La 
Place, embracing his correspondence with the Hawaiian 
authorities. To this paper he obtained nearly all the 
signatures of the officers of both ships. This was pub- 
lished in pamphlet form, and freely circulated. Its 
clear and truthful narrative of facts helped to open the 
eyes of the foreign residents, and contributed not a little to 
the right understanding of the case. Not satisfied with 
what he had done here, Foote, when he arrived in the 
United States, gave a public statement of the case, and 
indirectly caused the Government to take a deeper in- 
terest in the welfare of our missionaries in foreign lands. 

His arrival at home was marked with circumstances 
of peculiar sadness. During this long voyage his wife 
had died, and he found his little girl, whom he had left 
three years before an infant in her mothers arms, now an 
orphan. 

At the end of a year and a half he married again, his 
wife being the daughter of Augustus E,. Street, of Mott- 
Haven. He was at this time, and for a year afterwards, 
on duty at the Naval Asylum of Philadelphia, the in- 
mates of which long had cause to remember his kindness 
and the interest he took both in their temporal and spirit- 
ual welfare. He persuaded them to give up their grog 
rations, and sign a pledge of total abstinence — and in 
every way contributed to elevate their moral condition. 

From 1843 to 1845 he was attached to the Mediter- 
ranean squadron, being executive officer of the Cumber- 
land, the crew of v/hich he persuaded to give up their 
grog. Like Havelock among his soldiers, he became a 
voluntary chaplain to them — giving every Sunday a re- 



160 KEAE-ADMIKAL ANDEEW HULL FOOTE. 

ligious address, on the berth-deck, to as many as choose 
to hear him. Sometimes he would have on these occa- 
sions a congregation of two hundred, to whom the sight 
of a commander turned preacher was a novel one. 

After his return from this voyage, he was laid up for 
awhile with a disease of the eyes, which rendered him 
unfit for duty. 

Although but partially restored, he, at the end of six 
months, was ordered to the navy yard at Charlestown, 
Massachusetts, where he remained during the whole of 
the Mexican war, much to his disappointment. In 1849 
he was sent to the West African station, in command of 
the Perry, to help suppress the slave-trade. His zeal as 
an officer to perform his duty, was intensified by his 
strono; feelino;s of abhorrence at the infamous traffic ; and 
his eftbrts were indefatigable in suppressing it. 

He succeeded in banishing liquor from the Perry, in 
this cruise ; and, notwithstanding the unhealthiness of 
the coast, which was thought to require the use of ardent 
spirits to some extent, he never lost a man — thus showing 
their injurious tendency under all circumstances. 

For some years after his return, he remained on shore, 
engaged in no active duty. But in 1856 he again went to 
sea, as commander of the sloop-of-war Portsmouth, which 
was ordered to the East India station. During this 
cruise, he, for the first time, had a taste of actual war, 
and showed what he was capable of doing by the daring 
and fierce manner in which he bombarded the barrier 
forts in the Canton River. 

On his return to America, he was placed over the 
Brooklyn navy yard, wliere the breaking out of the rebel- 
lion found him. His labors were now herculean. To 
protect it from attack at home and fill all the requisitions 



SENT WEST. 161 

of Government, tasked him to the utmost ; and it was 
with a feeling of relief he received orders, in September, 
1861, to repair West, and superintend the creation of an 
inland navy on the Mississippi. 

From such motley materials as could be gathered on 
these waters, he labored night and day to get a respect- 
able force afloat. Having at length got together seven 
gunboats, four of them iron-clad, he left Cairo, on the 
4th of February, 1862, and ascended the Tennessee, 
to attack Fort Henry, while the rebels thought Colum- 
bus, on the Mississippi, to be the point he was aiming 
at. This delusion had purposely been kept up ; and 
Foote had several partial engagements with the gunboats 
that were under the protection of its guns. In January 
he had sent to the Department, saying that he needed a 
thousand men to man his fleet. They were not furnished, 
however, and on the 3d of February he forwarded another 
despatch to the Government, announcing his departure 
for Fort Henry. In it he said : "It is peculiarly unfor- 
tunate that we have not been able to obtain men for the 
flotilla, as they only are wanting to enable me to have at 
this moment eleven full-manned instead of seven partially- 
manned gunboats, ready for efficient operations at any 
point." But delay was impossible under the circum- 
stances ; and with such force as he had he steamed up 
the river. 

The following special order shows how thoroughly he 
had studied and prepared the attack, which was to be 
really the first great blo-w struck at the rebellion : 

The captains of the gunboats, before going into action, will always see 
that the hoods covering the gratings of the hatches at the bows, and sterns, 
and elsewhere, are taken off; otherwise great injury will result from the 
concussion of the guns in firing. The anchors, also, must be imstocked, if 
they interfere with the range of the bow guns. 
11 



162 EEAE-AD]\IIEAL AJSTDEEW HULL TOOTE. 

In attacking the fort, the first order of steaming will be observed, as, by 
the vessels being parallel, they will be much less exposed to the enemy's 
range than if not in a parallel line, and by moving ahead or astern, which all 
the vessels wiU do by following the motions of the flag-ship, it will be diffi- 
cult for the enemy to get an accurate range of the gunboats. 

Equal distances from one another must be observed by all the vessels in 
action. The flag-ship wUl, of course, open the fire first, and then others 
will follow when good sight of the enemy's guns in the forts can be obtained. 
There must be no firing until correct sights can be obtained, as this would 
not only be throwing away ammunition, but it would encourage the enemy 
to see us firing wildly and harmlessly at the fort. The captains will enforce 
upon their men the absolute necessity of observing this order ; and let it be 
also distinctly impressed on the mind of every man firing a gun, that, while 
the first shot may be either of too much elevation or too little, there is no 
excuse for a second wild fire, as the first wUl indicate the inaccuracy of the 
aim of the gun, which must be elevated, or depressed, or trained, as circum- 
stances require. Let it be reiterated that random firing is not a mere waste 
of ammunition, but, what is far worse, it encourages the enemy when he sees 
shot and shell falling harmlessly about and beyond him. 

The great object is to dismount the guns in the fort by the accuracy of 
our fire, although a shell in the mean time may occasionally be thrown in 
among a body of the enemy's troops. Great caution will be observed lest 
our ow:i troops be mistaken for the enemy. 

When the flag-ship ceases firing, it will be a signal for the other vessels 
also to cease, as the ceasing of firing will indicate the surrender, or the readi- 
ness to surrender, the fort. As the vessels will all be so near one another, 
verbal communication will be held with the commander-in-chief when it is 
wanted. The comraander-in-chief has every confidence in the spirit and 
valor of officers and men under his command, and his only solicitude arises 
lest the firing should be too rapid for precision, and that coolness and order, 
so essential to complete success, should not be observed ; and hence he has, 
in this general order, expressed his views, which must be observed by all 
under his command. ' A. H. FOOTE. 

That he had a premonition of victory is evident from 
the following Order, No. 3, to Lieutenant Phelps, who 
commanded the three gunboats not iron-plated, and which 
were directed during the action to throw shells from a 
comparatively safe distance in the rear, into the fort : 

Lieutenant Phelps will, as soon as the fort shall have surrendered, and 
upon signal from the flag-ship, proceed with the Conestoga. Taylor, and 



NIGHT BEFORE THE ATTACK. 163 

Lexington up the river, to wliere the railroad bridge crosses, and if the 
army shall have not already got possession, he will destroy so much of the 
track as will entirely prevent its use by the rebels. He will then proceed 
as far up the river as the stage of water will admit, and capture the enemy's 
gunboats and other vessels, which might prove available to the enemy. 



The infantry was landed a few miles below the fort, 
when Foote made a reconnoissance to ascertain the posi- 
tion of the hostile batteries. He had been told that the 
bed of the stream, near the fort, was lined with torpedoes ; 
and he ordered it to be thoroughly raked. The swift 
current at this season of the year had disarranged these 
engines of destruction — still several were removed, and 
the channel made clear. 

The night before the attack, the fleet anchored abreast 
of the army under Grant, encamped on the bank. The 
camp-fires lighted up the gloomy shores, and were re- 
flected on the smoothly-flowing stream — throwing into 
bolder relief the seven dark hulls, swinging lazily on 
the bosom of the Tennessee, combining to form a new 
and thrilling scene to the bold Western men, who, on 
both land and water, were about to enter on their first 
conflict. It was the more striking, as the night was dark 
— heavy, sombre clouds wrapping the heavens, — while 
the wintry wind surged by in fitful gusts, blending its roar 
with that of the waters that swept majestically through 
the gloom. Nature seemed to sympathize with coming 
events ; and before morning a fierce storm burst along 
the banks of the river, and the rain came down in torrents. 

But the tempestuous night at length passed, and the 
morning broke cold and clear. Foote at once ordered 
the vessels to be got ready for the attack. Admon- 
ishing Grant that he must hurry, or he would not be 
in time to do his part, which was to cut ofi^ the retreat 



164 EEAR-ADJUEAL ANDREW HULL FOOTE. 

of the enemy, lie began about ten o^clock to stem the 
rapid current. Grant, on the other hand, assuring him 
that he need not trouble himself about the army being 
up in time, put his troops in motion. The fort stood on 
a bend of the river, and commanded it for a long way 
down. An island lay about a mile below it, behind 
which Foote kept his boats, so as to avoid the shots of 
the rifled guns of the fort, which, "svith their long range, 
might cripple him before he came to close action. The 
iron-clads abreast moved slowly up stream, until the fort 
opened to view directly ahead, when the wooden vessels 
halted. The commander of the fort, aware of Footers ap- 
proach through the force on watch, the moment the latter's 
appeared, opened on him with his batteries, and shot and 
shell came hurtling down the river. Foote answered 
with his heavy bow guns, and the conflict commenced. 
The rebel gunners, from long practice, had obtained the 
exact range of every point in view, and hence sent their 
shot with fearful accuracy against the advancing vessels. 
Those of the gunboats had to get theirs ; but having re- 
ceived orders to fire slowly and deliberately, they were 
soon able to throw their shells with such precision that 
the rebel infantry outside of the works retired precipi- 
tately. The gunners, however, stood manfully to their 
work, though the fire to which they were exposed aston- 
ished them with its precision and eff*ect. 

Foote opened fire at the distance of seventeen hun- 
dred yards, using only his bow guns, as he steamed 
slowly toward the blazing batteries, increasing the ra- 
pidity of his fire as he advanced. Leading the way on 
the flagship Cincinnati, he was followed by the Essex, 
under Porter ; the Carondelet, under Walke, and the St. 
Louis, Lieutenant Paulding commanding. The fire from 



THE COMBAT. 165 

the Cincinnati and Essex was most terrific ; and to these 
the enemy gave their chief attention. Shot after shot 
bounded from their mailed sides, while others crashed amid 
the timbers ; but the boats moved steadily forward, creep- 
ing up to the flaming batteries, relentless as fate. Foote 
saw, by the earth and sand-bags that flew around the hos- 
tile guns, and the sudden silence of some of them, that he 
was slowly grinding them to powder, and steamed still 
nearer. At length, an unlucky shot entered the porthole 
of the Essex, and, traversing the boat, carried death and 
devastation in its track, and plunged at last into the boiler, 
letting the steam out in a cloud upon the crew. As she 
drifted helplessly down the current, the rebels sent up a 
loud cheer, and opened fire with renewed courage. Eoote 
saw that his right hand was gone ; but, undismayed, 
pushed steadily forward, until he lay within six hundred 
yards of the fort. The firing was now fearful. You 
could hear the ponderous shot strike, and see the guns 
lift and tumble fi'om their carriages as the shells exploded 
under them. Begrimed with powder and smoke, and 
their faces ablaze with excitement, the gunners worked 
their pieces with astonishing rapidity. The close prox- 
imity of the opposing cannon gave additional terror to 
the scene, and the heavy explosions, blending into one, 
made the shores tremble. Tilghman, the rebel com- 
mander, fought until nearly every one of his guns was 
dismounted, when, seeing that longer resistance was use- 
less, he lowered his flag. A boat was sent ashore, and soon 
the stars and stripes were seen floating in the breeze from 
the rebel flagstaff, when a loud, long cheer arose from 
boat after boat, and was borne away toward the Ohio by 
the swiftly descending current. 

The infantry had left some time before, Grant not 



166 EEAE-ADMIEAL ANDEEW HULL FOOTE. 

having arrived in time to intercept their flight ; so that 
only between sixty and seventy prisoners surrendered, 
with General Tilghman and his staiF. 

Foote reported forty-eight killed, wounded, and mis- 
sing. His ship was struck thirty-one times, the Essex 
fifteen, the St. Louis seven, and the Carondelet six. The 
fort was mounted with twenty guns, and had tents and 
barracks capable of holding fifteen thousand men. 

It was a great victory, and Footers name Avas re- 
peated with acclamations from one end of the North to 
the other. 

As soon as he had secured the prisoners, he sent off 
Phelps, as he had previously planned. This gallant offi- 
cer, taking the Taylor, Lieutenant Gwin commanding, 
and the Lexington, Lieutenant Shirk, with his own boat, 
the Conestoga, immediately steamed up the river. But 
we will let him tell his own story of his expedition. 

I arrived after dark at the railroad crossing, twenty-five miles above the 
fort, having on the way destroyed a small amount of camp equipage aban- 
doned by the rebels. The draw of the bridge was found closed, and the 
machinery for turning it disabled. About a mile and half above were sev- 
eral rebel transport steamers escaping up stream, 

A party was landed, and in one hour I had the satisfaction to see the draw 
open. The Taylor being the slowest of the gunboats, Lieutenant-Command- 
ing Gwin landed a force to destroy a portion of the railroad track and to 
secure such military stores as might be found, while I directed Lieutenant- 
Commanding Shirk to follow me with all speed in chase of the fleeing boats. 
In five hours the boat succeeded in forcing the rebels to abandon and burn 
three of their boats loaded with military stores. The first one fired (Samuel 
Orr) had on board a quantity of submarine batteries, which very soon ex- 
ploded. The second one was freighted with powder, cannon, shot, grape, 
balls, &c. Fearing an explosion from the fired boats — there were two to- 
gether — I had stopped at a distance of one thousand yards ; but even there 
our skylights were broken by the concussion, the light upper deck was 
raised bodily, doors were forced open, and locks and fastenings everywhere 
broken. 

The whole river, for half a mile round about, was completely " beaten 



PHELP'S NAEEATIVE. 167 

up " by the falling fragments and the shower of shot, grape, balls, &c. The 
house of a reported Union mnn was blown to pieces, and it is suspected there 
was design in landing the boats in front of the doomed home. The Lexing- 
ton having fallen astern, and being without a pilot on board, I concluded to 
wait for both of the boats to come up. Joined by them, we proceeded up 
the river. Lieutenant-Commanding Gwin had destroyed some of the trestle- 
work at the end of the bridge, burning with them a lot of camp equipage. 
I. N. Brown, formerly a lieutenant in the navy, now signing himself 
" Lieut. 0. S. K," had fled with such precipitation as to leave his papers 
behind. These Lieutenant-Commanding Gwin brought away, and I send 
them to you, as they give an official history of the rebel floating preparations 
on the Mississippi, Cumberland, and Tennessee. Lieutenant Brown had 
charge of the construction of gunboats. 

At night, on the 7th, we arrived at a landing in Hardin County, Tennes- 
see, known as Oerro Gordo, where we found the steamer Eastport being 
converted into a gunboat. Armed boat crews were immediately sent on 
board, and search made for means of destruction that might have been de- 
vised. She had been scuttled and the suction-pipes broken. These leaks 
were soon stopped. A number of rifle-shots were fired at our vessels, but a 
couple of shells dispersed the rebels. On examination I found that there 
were large quantities of timber and lumber prepared for fitting up the East- 
port ; that the vessel itself — some two hundred and eighty feet long — was in 
excellent condition, and already half finished ; considerable of the plating 
designed for her was lying on the bank, and everything at hand to complete 
her. I therefore directed Lieutenant-Commanding Gwin to remain with the 
Taylor to guard the prize, and to load the lumber, &c., while the Lexington 
and Conestoga should proceed still higher up. 

Soon after daylight, on the 8th, we passed Eastport, Mississippi ; and at 
Chickasaw, further up, near the State line, seized two steamers, the Sallie 
Wood and Muscle — the former laid up, and the latter freighted with iron 
destined for Richmond and for rebel use. We then proceeded on up the 
river, entering the State of Alabama, and ascending to Florence at the foot 
of the Muscle Shoals. On coming in sight of the town, three steamers were 
discovered, which were immediately set on fire by the rebels. Some shots 
were fired from the opposite side of the river below. A force was landed, 
and considerable quantities of supplies, marked " Fort Henry," were secured 
from the burning wrecks. Some had been landed and stored. These 
I seized, putting such as we could bring away on our vessels, and destroying 
the remainder. No flats or other craft could be found. I found, also, more 
of the iron and plating intended for the Eastport. 

A deputation of citizens of Florence waited upon me, first desiring that 
they might be able to quiet the fears of their wives and daughters with 
assurances from me that they would not be molested ; and, secondly, praying 
that I would not destroy their railroad bridge. As for the first, I told them 



168 EEAK-ADMIEAL ANDEEW HULL FOOTE. 

we were neither ruffians nor savages, and that we were there to protect from 
violence and to enforce the law ; and, with reference to the second, that if the 
hridge were away we could ascend no higher, and that it could possess no 
military importance, so far as I saw, as it simply connected Florence itself 
with the railroad on the south bank of the river. 

We had seized three of their steamers — one the half-finished gunboat — 
and had forced the rebels to burn six others loaded with supplies; and their 
loss, with that of the freight, is a heavy blow to the enemy. Two boats are 
still known to be on the Tennessee, and are doubtless hidden in some of the 
creeks, where we shall be able to find them when there is time for the 
search. "We returned, on the night of the 8th, to where the Eastport lay. 
The crew of the Taylor had already gotten on board of the prize an immense 
amount of lumber, &c. The crews of the three boats set to work to finish 
the undertaking, and we have brought away probably two hundred and 
fifty thousand feet of the best quality of ship and building lumber, all the 
iron, machinery, spikes, plating, nails, &c., belonging to the rebel gunboats, 
and I caused the mill to be destroyed where the lumber had been sawed. 

Lieutenant-Commanding Gwin had, in our absence, enlisted some twenty- 
five Tennesseeans, who gave information of the encampment of Colonel 
Drew's rebel regiment at Savannah, Tennessee. A portion of the six or 
seven hundred men were known to be " pressed " men, and all were badly 
armed. After consultation with Lieutenants-Commanding Gwin and Shirk, 
I determined to make a land attack upon the encampment. Lieutenant- 
Commanding Shirk, with thirty riflemen, came on board the Conestoga, 
leaving his vessel to guard the Eastport, and, accompanied by the Taylor, we 
proceeded up to that place, prepared to land one hundred and thirty riflemen 
and a twelve-pounder rifle howitzer. Lieutenant-Commanding Gwin took 
command of this force when landed, but had the mortification to find the 
camp deserted. 

The rebels had fled at 1 o'clock, in the night, leaving considerable quanti- 
ties of arms, clothing, shoes, camp utensils, provisions, implements, &c., all 
of which were secured or destroyed, and their winter-quarters of log-huts 
were burned. 1 seized, also, a large mail-bag, and send you the letters giving 
military information. The gunboats were then dropped down to a point 
where arms, gathered under the rebel " press-law," had been stored, and an 
armed party, under Second-Master Goudy, of the Taylor, succeeded in seizing 
about seventy rifles and fowling-pieces. Ketnrning to Cerro Gordo, we took 
the Eastport, Sallie Wood, and Muscle in tow, and came down the river to 
the railroad crossing. The Muscle sprang a leak, and, all efl'orts failing to 
prevent her sinking, we were forced to abandon her, and with her a consid- 
erable quantity of fine lumber. We are having trouble in getting through 
the draw of the bridge here. 

I now come to the, to me, most interesting portion of this report — one 
which has already become lengthy ; but I must trust you will find some 



SOUTHEEN" UNIONISM. 169 

excuse for this in the fact that it embraces a history of labors and movements 
day and night, from the 6th to the 10th of the month, all of which details 
I deem it proper to give you. We have met with the most gratifying proofs 
of loyalty emryioherc across Tennessee anH in the portions of Mississippi and 
Alabama we visited. Most affecting instances greeted tis almost hourly. Men,, 
women, and children, several times gathered in crowds of hundreds, shouted 
their welcome, and hailed their national flag loith an enthusiasm there was 
no raistahing ; it was genuine and heartfelt. Those people braved every- 
thing to go to the river bank, where a sight of their flag might once more 
be enjoyed. Tears flowed freely down the cheeks of men as well as women, 
and there were those who had fought under the stars and stripes at Moultrie, 
who on this morning testified their joy. 

This display of feeling and sense of gladness at our success, and the hopes 
it created in the hearts of so many people in the heart of the Southern Con- 
federacy, astonished us not a little ; and I assure you, sir, I would not have 
failed to witness it for any consideration. I trust it has given us all a higher 
sense of the sacred character of our present duties. I was assured, at Sa- 
vannah, that of the several hundred troops there, more than one-half, had 
we gone to the attack in time, would have hailed us as deliverers, and gladly 
enlisted with the national forces. 

In Tennessee the people generally braved the secessionists, and spoke 
their views freely, but in Mississippi and Alabama, what was said was 
guarded: '■'■ If we dared express ourselves freely, you icould hear such a shout 
greeting your coming as you never heard.''"' "We know there are many 
Unionists among us, but a reign of terror makes us all afraid of our shadows." 
"We were told, too : " Bring us a small organized force, with arms and 
ammunition for us, and we can maintain our position, and put down rebel- 
lion in our midst." There were, it is true, whole communities, who, on our 
approach, fled to the woods ; but these were where there was less of the loyal 
element, and when the fleeing steamers, in advance, had spread tales of our 
coming with firebrands, burning, destroying, ravishing, and plundering. 

Foote was much encouraged at this report of the state 
of feelmg. On the return of the expedition he steamed 
down the river to Cairo, and, eight days after the surren- 
der of Fort Henry, was ascending the Cumberland to assist 
Grant, who was marching across the country to attack 
Fort Donelson. He was aware of the superior strength 
of this fort, and his force being now reduced by the loss 
of the iron-clad Essex, he feared that the attempt to re- 
duce it from the river would prove fruitless. He, how- 



170 EEAR-ADJnRAL ANDREW HULL FOOTE. 

ever, at the urgent request of Mnjor-General Halleck and 
Gen. Grant, who regarded the movement as a " military 
necessity," consented to make it. 

The works here were of the most formidable kind, and, 
it was thought, able to resist any attempt to ascend the 
river to Nashville. On the river side were two batteries : 
the lower one mounting eight 32-pounders and a 10-inch 
columbiad, and the upper, some ten yards above this, two 
32-pound carronades and a 32-pound rifled gun. The 
range of these commanded every foot of the river in sight 
below the fort. 

The day before the attack, Foote sent the Carondelet 
upon a reconnoissance, and the vessel being fired upon, 
returned the fire and maintained the unequal contest till 
she had discharged over a hundred shots, and did not 
retire until struck by a heavy shot which, entering one of 
her forward points, wounded eight men. 

Foote knew the desperate undertaking before him, 
but, on the 14th, moved resolutely up to the batteries 
with his four iron-clads and two wooden gmiboats. He 
soon found that he was exposed to a different fire than 
the one he had encountered at Fort Henry. The heavy 
metal of the batteries fell rapid as hailstones on his ves- 
sel, and the water around the boats was beaten into foam 
by the falling shots and shell. The flagship, as usual, 
received the chief attention of the enemy. Yet Foote 
moved steadily forward into the volcano before him, 
nobly sustained by his other vessels. Noticing that the 
pilot, under the horrible fire that smote the vessel, was 
getting nervous, he walked up to him, placed his hand 
on his shoulder, and spoke some encouraging words, when 
a heavy shot struck the poor fellow, leaving him a mangled 
mass beside his broken wheel. Foote, though wounded 



THE AITACK ABANDONED. lYl 

himself in the foot by a splinter, still limped around, giv- 
ing his orders with imperturhable coolness, and anxiously 
watching the effect of the shot on the rebel w^orks. But 
this unlucky shot had carried away the wheel, with the 
pilot; and the boat — which had now got within four 
hundred yards of the fort — })ecame unmanageable ; and, 
swinging to the current, drifted slowly down stream. At 
the same time, the tiller-ropes of the Louisville were cut, 
and she, too, floated down stream. The enemy no sooner 
saw this than he redoubled his fire. Only two boats were 
now left to maintain the conflict ; but they too, being dam- 
aged between wind and water, soon followed the flagship, 
and the fight, that had raged with such ferocity for an 
hour and a quarter, was over. Fifty-four had been killed 
or wounded, and the flagship been struck fifty-nine times. 
Although he could bring but twelve guns to bear on bat- 
teries that mounted twenty, Foote thought, but for the 
untoward accident that destroyed the steering apparatus 
of the two vessels, he would have succc;eded in capturing 
the works, as the fire of the enemy had materially slack- 
ened. Some such accident, however, ^vas to be expected 
in so unequal a fight. 

Leaving two boats here to protect the transports, 
Foote returned with the ten disabled ones to Cairo, to 
repair damages and prepare for another attack. 

Fort Donelson, however, surrendered a few days after 
to Grant, and he again advanced up the river to Clarkes- 
ville, farther on toward Nashville, which surrendered to 
him. He found much Union feeling among the inhab- 
itants along the shore, and here issued a proclamation 
promising security to private property and citizens, and 
calling on the latter to resume their peaceful avocations. 
He now, in conjunction Avith Grant, resolved to move on 



172 EEAE-ADMIEAL ANDEEW HULL FOOTE. 

Nashville ; and the two were about starting, when Grant, 
"to his astonishment," he says, "received a telegram 
from General Halleck, not to let the gunboats go higher 
than Clarkesville. " Havino- received no tele^-ram him- 
self, he could not understand it ; and immediately sent a 
despatch to Halleck's Chief of Staff, saying, " The Cum- 
berland is in a good stage of water, and General Grant 
and I believe that we can take Nashville. Please, ask 
General Halleck if we shall do it. We will talk per 
telegraph. Captain Phelps representing me in the office, 
as I am still on crutches." But permission was not given 
him, and he returned to Cairo, and once more turned his 
attention to Columbus. On the 23d, he made a recon- 
noissance of the works with four iron-clads, ten mortar- 
boats, and three transports, containing a thousand men. 
He found that nothing could be done without an addi- 
tional force, and returned to Cairo, to wait the comple- 
tion of other boats. 

In the mean time, he had despatched the gunboats 
Tyler and Lexington up the Tennessee, which attacked 
the enemy's works at Pittsburg, and captured them with 
small loss, while there were a hundred and fifty of the 
enemy killed or wounded. On the 1st of March, Lieu- 
tenant Phelps, who had been sent with a flag of truce to 
Columbus, returned and reported it evacuated, the army 
havinsi: retired to Island No. 10. Foote now transferred 
his flag to the powerful iron-clad Benton, and advanced 
against the strong works which had been erected here. 
Attack after attack followed, and a ceaseless bombard- 
ment from the mortar-boats was kept up ; but no serious 
impression could be made on them. General Pope at 
length arrived below "with a large force ; but he had no 
boats with which to transport his troops across to the 



PEEPAEmG TO EUN THE BATTEEIES. lYS 

other side and march against the enemy, and so lay idle 
on the banks. 

For three weeks the fleet lay here, pounding away 
at the rebel fortifications, and the end seemed as far off 
as ever, while the public began to weary of hearing of 
Island No. 10. 

The arrival of Pope below made it imperative that a 
gunboat should be got through to him ; but whether one 
could run the formidable batteries that lined the shore 
was very problematical. It, however, must be tried, or 
Pope could never cross and move up to Island No. 10, 
and compel its evacuation. There was no prospect of 
capturing the works by our gunboats from above, and so 
Foote assigned the hazardous duty of running the bat- 
teries to the commander of the Carondelet, directing him 
to avail himself of the first foggy or rainy night to start. 
If he succeeded, he was to cooperate with Pope, and when 
the army moved, to attack the fortifications. In closing 
his directions he used the following solemn language : 

On this delicate and somewhat hazardous service to which I assign you I 
must enjoin upon you the importance of keeping your lights secreted in the 
hold or put out, keeping your officers and men from speaking at all, when 
passing the forts, above a whisper, and then only on duty, and of using every 
other precaution to prevent the rebels suspecting that you are dropping be- 
low their batteries. 

If you successfully perform this duty assigned you, which you so willingly 
undertake, it will reflect the highest credit upon you and all belonging to 
your vessel, and I doubt not but that the Government will fully appreciate 
and reward you for a service which, I trust, will enable the army to cross 
the river and make a successful attack in the rear, while we storm the bat- 
teries in front of this stronghold of the rebels. 

Commending you and all who compose your command to the care and 
protection of God, who rules the world and directs all things, I am, respect- 
fully, your obedient servant, A. H. FOOTE. 

To this was added the following postscript : 



1T4 EEAE-ADMIEAL ANDEEW HULL FOOTE. 

P. S.— Should you meet with disaster, you will, as a last resort, destroy 
the steam machinery, and, if possible to escape, set fire to your gunboat, or 
sink her, and prevent her from falling into the hands of the rebels. A. H. F. 

Everything that ingenuity could devise was done to 
insure success, for the boat was first to run, head on, to a 
powerful battery, then take the fire of forty-seven cannon 
in her daring passage. Chains were coiled around the 
pilot-house and other vulnerable parts — cord-wood piled 
against the boilers, and the hose connected with the lat- 
ter to hurl jets of steam to repel boarders in case of an 
attack. A boat, loaded with pressed hay, was lashed to 
the side exposed to the batteries, while, to balance this, 
and, at the same time, to furnish the steamer with fuel, 
should she get through safely, a barge loaded with coal 
was lashed to the other side. Twenty sharpshooters 
were also added to the crew, who were all thoroughly 
armed for any emergency. 

The night of the 4th of April was dark and tem- 
pestuous, and about ten o'clock the Carondelet cut loose 
from her anchorage, and, rounding slowly to on the 
stream, turned her head down the Mississippi. The fleet, 
aware of the exjDcdition, was silent and anxious. Every 
ofiicer felt the peril into which the intrepid Walke was 
moving. Darkness soon ^vrapped his boat from sight ; 
but the blinding flashes of lightning would ever and anon 
reveal its black form moving forward through the gloom. 
It was an hour of painful suspense to Foote, for vast 
results hung on the welfare of that single vessel. As if 
to impart still greater grandeur to the scene, the thunder 
rolled heavily overhead, or broke in deafening claps 
along the shore. 

Wrapping itself in the thunder storm, as in a mantle, 
the Carondelet swept forward into the volcano that 



EUNNING THE BATTEEIES. 175 

awaited lier approach. Everything passed quietly for 
awhile, but suddenly, as she approached the batteries, the 
soot in the chimneys caught fire, and a blaze, five feet 
high, leaped from their tops, shedding a broad glare on the 
surrounding water. " Open the flue caps," passed quietly 
and quickly to the engineer, and the flames subsided. 
So suddenly did this strange apparition appear and 
vanish, that it was either unseen, or, blending in as it 
did with the lightning, it deceived the guard. 

Walke, from his silent deck, gazed intently towards 
the batteries, expecting every moment to hear the drum 
beat to quarters, and see the flash of the signal-gun light 
up the gloom. But, to his great relief, all passed off 
quietly, and the Carondelet kept on her perilous way. 
But just as she got abreast of the upper battery, the 
chimneys caught fire again and blazed like a torch on the 
breast of the stream. The next moment the report of a 
musket was heard. In an instant, rockets from island 
and mainland arose through the storm. The rapid roll 
of drums was heard in the intervals of the thunder, and 
then came a single report, followed by a deafening crash 
that drowned the artillery of heaven. Concealment was 
now over, and Walke, putting on a full head of steam 
and hugging the batteries close, to let the shot fly over 
him, pushed rapidly down the current. A man stood 
forward with lead and line, coolly calling out from time 
to time in a low voice the soundings, which a second 
man on deck repeated, sending the report aft to Walke, 
who stood beside the pilot, calm and collected, but with 
every nerve strung to its utmost tension and all his senses 
keenly alive to every movement and sound. The flashes 
of the enemy's guns and of the lightning above them, 
revealed almost momentarily the shores, and thus showed 



17^ EEAE-ADMIKAL ANDEEW HULL FOOTE. 

the cliannel ; yet the light coming and going so rapidly, 
and the utter darkness of the intervals, confused and 
blinded the pilot, and once the boat was heading straight 
for the shore. But just then a fierce flash of lightning 
lit up the scene, and " hard a-port ! " fell from the Cap- 
tain's lips in calm accents, yet so sharp and stern that the 
pilot threw himself with all his might upon the wheel, 
and the Carondelet swung back into the channel. 

A wilder, sublimer scene cannot be imagined than 
that boat presented, as, silent as death, she moved steadi- 
ly on, — one moment painted red on the stream by the 
flashes of lightning or of artillery, and the next moment 
lost to sight as completely as though she had gone to the 
bottom. The rain came down in torrents, the wind 
swept by in fierce gusts, while the thunder breaking 
above, and the artillery exploding below, imparted an 
indescribable teiTor to this midnight hour. 

But at length the last battery was passed, the echo of 
the last gun died sullenly away up the river, and a heavy 
load lifted from the heart of Walke. With a cheerful 
voice he ordered the ports to be thrown open and the 
guns run out to fire minute guns — the signal agreed on 
with Foote, should the Carondelet pass the batteries in 
safety. The latter stood on deck listening to the uproar 
below, telling him of the fiery ordeal his brave subordi- 
nate was enduring, and when it ceased he bent attentively 
to catch the report of the signal guns. Suddenly it came, 
but so blent in with the thunder, that he could not 
certainly tell whether it was not the boom of the latter ; 
others, also, heard it, but the raging storm so drowned it 
that they too doubted. 

At New Madrid, however, there was no doubt, no 
uncertainty. The soldiers and officers there had also 



SAFE PASSAGE OF THE BOAT. 177 

heard tlie terrific cannonading uj) the Mississip2:)i, and 
knew what it meant, and every eye was strained up 
stream to catch sight of the coming vessel, while lights 
danced along the shore to guide her course. As the 
Carondelet, untouched by a single shot, came proudly up 
to the wharf, the frenzied cheers that arose drowned the 
voice of the storm, and the soldiers, rushing down, seized 
the sailors and bore them in their arms uj) the banks to 
the nearest hotel, and unbounded joy reigned throughout 
the anny. 

Pope immediately despatched a messenger announcing 
the safe arrival of the Carondelet, and urging Foote in 
the most earnest manner to send another boat the next 
night, as its presence was necessary to ensure success. 
In his ardor, he said, " I am thus urgent, sir, because the 
lives of thousands of men and the success of our opera- 
tions, hang upon your decision." 

To this, Foote replied in frdl, stating that it was im- 
possible to send a boat till there came a dark night. 
He did not like the tone of Pope's letter, and said : 

I am sorry to find the expression in your letter, " The success of our 
operations hangs upon your (my) decision," especially referring to my di- 
recting a gunboat to attempt running the blockade in this clear night ; for, 
in my judgment, and that of all the other officers, the boat might as well 
expect to run it in the daytime. I cannot consider the running of your 
blockade, where the river is nearly a mile wide, and only exposed to a few 
light guns, at all comparable to running it here, where a boat has not only 
to pass seven batteries, but has to be kept " head on " to a battery of eleven 
heavy guns, at the head of Island No. 10, and to pass within three hundred 
yards of this strong battery. If it did not sink the gunboat, we would, in 
the navy, consider the gunners totally unfit for employment in the service ; 
and, therefore, my responsibility for the lives of the ofiicers and men under 
my charge, induces me to decline a request which would, especially without 
protection to the boat, were the rebels at all competent to perform their 
duty, result in the sacrifice of the boat, her officers, and men, which sacrifice 
I should not be justified in making — certainly not now, when, by your own 
12 



178 EEAE-ADMIEAL ANDREW HULL FOOTE. 

admission, it will be easy for the new rebel steamers, reported to be on their 
way up the river, to pass your batteries in the night, and if they meet my 
squadron, reduced by loss, so as to be unable to cope with them, can con- 
tinue up the Mississippi or Ohio to St. Louis or to Cincinnati, 

In view, however, of rendering you all the aid you request, and no 
doubt require, while I regret that you had not earlier expressed the appre- 
hension of the necessity of two gunboats, instead of the smaller gunboat, I 
will, to-morrow, endeavor to prepare another boat ; and if the night is such 
as will fender her running the blockade without serious disaster at all prob- 
able, I will make the attempt to send you the additional boat requested in 
your letter of this day's date. 

I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, A. H. FOOTE, 

Flag- Officer Commanding Naval Forces^ Western Waters. 
Majoe General John Pope, 

Commandin^j Army at Neio Madrid. 

A few days after the 8tli, aiiotlier heavy thunder 
storm occurring, the Pittsbiu-g, Lieutenant Thomj^son 
commanding, started at two o'clock in the morning, and, 
though exposed to the fire of seventy-three guns, safely 
passed the batteries. 

Previous to these movements. Colonel Bissell, an en- 
gineer, had, with incredible labor, cut a canal through 
sloughs and streams, by which transports were got 
through, so that now the fate of Island No. 10 was 
sealed. The gunboats silenced the batteries on the oppo- 
site shore, when the troops were carried over and began 
their march for the rebel works. The commander, 
Mackall, seeing that all was lost, evacuated the place, 
and it fell with all its stores and armament into our hands. 

While these stirring events were passing on the Mis- 
sissippi, the terrible battle of Pittsburg Landing was 
fought, in which two of Foote's fleet did great service. 
The Tyler and Lexington, under the command of Gwin 
and Shirk, by the effective manner in which they shelled 
the rebel left, on the afternoon of the first day, did much 
towards preventing a total defeat of our arms. 



rOOTE BELIEVED. 179 

Foote now moved down to Fort Pillow, and wliile 
operating here and making arrangements to drive out 
the enemy, lie said, in a letter to the Secretary of the 
Navy : 

" The effects of my wound have quite a dispiriting 
effect upon me, from the increased inflammation, and 
swelling of my foot and leg, which have induced a febrile 
action, depriving me of a good deal of sleep and energy. 
I cannot give the wound that attention and rest it ab- 
solutely requires, until this place is captured." 

Another event which soon after occurred, had a still 
more depressing effect upon him. He had made arrange- 
ments that, he thought, with the cooperation of Pope's 
army, would give him Fort Pillow within six days, when 
that officer received a despatch from Halleck, to join him 
at once, with his twenty thousand men, at Pittsburg. In 
a letter to the Department, the former said: "I am 
greatly exercised about our position here, on account of 
the withdrawal of the army of twenty thousand men, so 
important an element in the capture of the place." 

He, however, continued to shell the place, and was 
busy in devising ways and means preparatory to a 
successful attack on the fort. But his health con- 
tinued to grow worse, and, although he managed to limp 
around on his crutches, it was plain to all, and especially 
so to his surgeon, that he must be relieved from the cares 
that pressed upon him, and he finally asked leave of 
absence. C. H. Davis was placed in command of the 
fleet till he could recover. 

Foote retired to Cleveland, where, with his brothers, he 
rested for awhile, the subject of anxious solicitude to his 
countrymen, who felt that he could not yet be spared 
from the field. 



180 EEAE-ADMIEAL ANDEEW HULL FOOTE. 

After awMle lie proceeded to Ms liome, now saddened 
by the loss of a bright boy, fourteen years of age, who 
had been carried to his grave while he was far away, 
perilling his life for his country. Afflictions rapidly ac- 
cumulated upon him, seemingly greater than his weak- 
ened frame could bear. Before autumn had passed, two 
young daughters followed their brother to the grave, 
leaving him a desolate, stricken man. The land was re- 
sounding with his praises, yet he heard them not — his 
heart was in the grave with his children, and the lam'els 
a grateful nation was weaving for him turned to ashes 
in his sight. 

He had, in the mean time, been created a rear- 
admiral, on the active list, and, in a fevf weeks after the 
death of his two daughters, was called to Washington. 
Though broken in spirits and health, and wholly unfit 
for duty, he responded to the call, and became engaged 
in the new " Bureau of Equipment and Navigation." 
As soon as he saw that he could be spared here, he asked 
for more active and dangerous service, and was assigned 
to the command of the North Atlantic squadron. His 
friends tried to dissuade him from taking it, for they saw 
that his extreme debility and prostration demanded rest 
if he wished to save his life. To one and all he replied 
that his life was not his own, and he was ready to lay it 
clown for his country. He repaired to New York, and 
made all his preparations to sail, when the disease, 
against which he had battled so long, overcame him, and 
he lay down to die. He lingered for ten days in great 
suffering, and at length expired at the Astor House, 
June 26, 1863. 

Dahlgren, who had been appointed to command the 
iron-clads under him, and subsequently took his place, 



HIS DEATH. 181 

came on from Wasliington to see him just before his death. 
The following is his account of the last interview with 
him. He says : " Next morning after my arrival in 
New York, my first care was to visit my old and dearly 
beloved friend Foote. Alas ! he was delirious — a few 
words recalled the fast-departing senses — the wandering 
eye rested on me for a brief moment, and he uttered my 
name distinctly — even remembered my boys — then he re- 
lapsed, and another day ended in this world the life of as 
hrave and as good a man as ever served any country. No 
one better knew his virtues than I — no one prized them 
more dearly. We had been bosom friends for twenty 
years, and never a cloud between us. What a loss to the 
country ! " A beautiful tribute from a brave and good 
man to a brave and good man. 

The news of his death was received with universal 
grief, for he had become a favorite with the people, and 
much was expected of him in the future towards crushing 
the rebellion, which had received such staggering blows 
at his hand. 

A brave man, an accomplished officer, a noble pa- 
triot, and a sincere Christian, he rested from his labors, 
and passed to that serene abode where the afflictions of 
this life become blessings to swell his joy and thanks- 
giving. His fame is secure, and his name will ever stand 
high in the list of our great naval commanders. 



CHAPTER VII. 

COMMODORE CHARLES STUART BOGGS. 

EAELY IMPEESSIONS. — HIS ETATITITY AND EAELT EDUCATION. — ANECDOTE. — EN- 
TERS THE NATAL SEEVICE. — HIS FIRST CETHSE. — GEEEK PIRATES. — CRUISE 

TO THE "WEST INDIES. A LIEUTENANT. — SEETICE IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN. — 

HAS CHARGE OF THE APPRENTICES IN NEW YORK HAEBOE. — OEDEEED TO 
THE AFRICAN COAST. — SERVES ON BOARD THE PRINCETON DURING THE MEX- 
ICAN WAR. — A DARING ACT. — CRUISE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. — THE GREEKS 
ASTONISHED AT A PEOPELLEB. — SENT TO THE WORLD's FAIR. — INSPECTOR OF 
CLOTHING AND PROVISIONS IN NEW YORK HARBOR. — COMMANDS A CALIFOR- 
NIA STEAMER. — INSPECTOR OF LIGHTS ON THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA. — HIS 
POSITION AND FEELINGS ON THE BREAKING OUT OF THE REBELLION. — OF- 
FERS A REWARD TO THE MOST GALLANT SOLDIER OF HIS COUNTRY. — 
ORDERED HOME. — GIVEN THE COMMAND OF THE VARUNA. — JOINS FAR- 
EAGUT's squadron. — I*ASSAGE OF THE FORTS BELOW NEW ORLEANS. — HIS 
GALLANT CONDUCT. — THE BOY OSCAR. — IS PRESENTED WITH A SWORD FOE 
HIS GALLANTRY. — ON BLOCKADING DUTY OFF WILMINGTON HARBOR. — HIS 
HEALTH FAILS. — APPOINTED ON ADMIRAL GREGORY'S STAFF AT NEW YORK. — 
PLANS AND BUILDS TORPEDO-BOATS. — HIS SERVICES SINCE THE WAR. — 
HIS CHARACTER. 

It is curious often to trace the causes which have 
given bent to a man's whole life, and made or marred his 
fortunes. Sometimes there seems to be a strong natural 
tendency to a certain profession or calling ; but, on care- 
ful examination, it will usually be found that this has 
arisen from some circumstance — perhaps from a single 
biographical sketch, which the child has read — making 



HIS EAELY LIFE. 183 

an impression upon liim that nothing could efface ; often, 
again, some tradition or character in the family has 
produced it. 

It is more than probable that the subject of this 
sketch would never have chosen the naval profession had 
not his mother been sister of the gallant Lawrence, whose 
last words were : " Don't give up the ship ! " It could 
not be otherwise than that the gallant character of such 
a man should make an indelible impression on his nephew 
— especially when the story of his battles and heroic death 
was told by a mother, who revered the memory of her 
dead brother. What to the mother was the ideal of a 
noble man would naturally become so to the son ; at all 
events, he early determined to enter the naval service. 
It would appear from tradition that other plans had been 
formed for him, and attempts made to dissuade him from 
this course, but in vain. 

He was born in New Brunswick, N. J., January, 1811, 
and was sent at an early age to Captain Partridge's cele- 
brated military academy, at Middletown, Connecticut. It 
is related that one day some of his friends, in attempting 
to dissuade him from a maritime life, said : " Why, 
Charles, you can't be a sailor, for you don't know how 
to climb." He instantly turned, and, for an answer 
ascended quickly to the roof of the house, and descended 
by the lightning-rod. This practical argument was con- 
clusive. 

On the 1st of November, 1826, when he was fifteen 
years old, he was appointed midshipman, and, the next 
July, joined the sloop-of war Warren, and sailed for the 
Mediterranean. The eastern portion of the sea at that 
time swarmed with Greek pirates, and the vessel in 
which young Boggs served was very active in protecting 



184 COMMODORE CHAHLES STUART BOGGS. 

our commerce, and suppressing pii'acy among tlie Grecian 
islands. So valuable were the services of Captain 
Kearney, his commander, that they were spoken of in 
the British Parliament. At that time, our navy was a 
sore subject to the English, and it required a strong 
motive to wring from them a compliment to any of our 
ships. 

This was a good school for the young midshipman. 
The intricate and narrow channels of those islands fur- 
nished hiding-places for the small Grecian crafts, and 
hence, there were necessarily many boat expeditions sent 
in search of them, which required the utmost vigilance 
and calmness to carry out successfully. Young Boggs 
there learned that quiet, yet quick, prompt resolution, 
for which he was afterward so distinguished. In these 
dangerous expeditions, and sudden bold dashes, he saw 
that perfect self-j)ossession, and the ability to decide on 
the spur of the moment what course of action to adopt, 
was as indispensable to a naval officer, as the ability to 
command a ship. 

Winding among the beautiful islands of Greece, and 
sailing along the classic coast of the Mediterranean, and 
visiting the cities and mementoes of ancient greatness, 
Boggs passed three years of his life, and, when he re- 
turned, was no longer a boy. He now made two cruises 
to the West Indies, and, in 1832, passed his examination 
successfully, preparatory to his promotion. His duties 
for the next five years did not differ from those conunon 
to all officers in times of peace. 

In 1836, he joined, as master, the ship of the line 
North Carolina, which had been ordered to the Pacific 
coast. When the vessel arrived at Callao, he received an 
appointment as acting lieutenant, and was ordered as 



IN CHAEGE OF APPRENTICES. 185 

executive officer to the scliooner Enterprise, wliicli ap- 
pointment was confii-med by his promotion in 1833. 

For nearly two years, Lieutenant Boggs now saw 
much active service. The little schooner sailed up and 
down the coast, from Valparaiso to Lower California, ex- 
ploring it thoroughly. 

In 1839, he returned home in the North Carolina^ 
and served about a year on board of her in New York 
harbor, as lieutenant, in charge of the apprentices. He 
here exhibited two very strong traits in his character — • 
mildness and gentleness of manner, and yet strictness in 
enforcing discipline. The hand was iron in maintain- 
ing order; but it was so gloved, that none felt its 
hardness. Perhaps no man could be more free and easy 
with his pupils or subordinates, and yet not relax one 
jot of strict discipline. 

He was highly complimented for his conduct and 
management of these boys. 

His next cruise was in the Saratoga, which composed 
a part of Commodore Perry's squadron, on the coast of 
Africa, and he took an active part in the bombardment 
and destruction of the Berreby towns. 

When the Mexican war broke out, he was ordered to 
the steamer Princeton, Captain Eagle, and took j^art in the 
grand bombardment of the Castle of St. Juan de Ulloa and 
of Tampico. The United States brig Tnixton, having got 
aground on the bar of Tuspan Eiver, surrendered to 
the Mexicans, and the Princeton was ordered down to 
destroy her. An'iving off the wreck, a boat was manned, 
and Lieutenant Boggs put in command of it, with orders 
to destroy the vessel. The boat, impelled by the strong 
rowers, swept steadily over the water, and had nearly 
reached the Truxton, when a gale suddenly arose, lashing 



186 COMMODOEE CHARLES STUART BOGGS. 

the sea into fury, and causing it to break witli sucli vio. 
lence over tlie stranded vessel that he found it impos- 
sible to board her. The current setting strongly in 
shore, together with the increasing gale, also rendered it 
impossible to return to the Princeton. The waves were 
running high ; and Boggs, in spite of his efforts, was car- 
ried towards the shore. As he approached it, he saw a 
company of Mexican soldiers drawn up on the beach with 
a field piece, covering the approach. This was an unex- 
pected dilemma. He could not force the boat out to sea, 
and he knew, before he could land and charge the soldiers, 
his little crew would be annihilated. With that quick- 
ness of decision which distinguished him, he immediately 
ordered the only white shirt on board to be torn up, and 
fastened on a boat-hook, and hoisted as a flag of truce. 
He then told his men to turn, and pull boldly for shore. 
Springing on the beach as the bow grazed the sand, he 
advanced to the Mexican commander with his strange flag 
of truce, and told him he had been sent to destroy the 
Truxton — that he was carried against his will to the 
shore, and had no intention of molesting the town, and 
that if he was not interfered mth, he would do it no 
injury. If, on the contrary, the former attemjDted to 
prevent him from carrying out his instructions, the Prince- 
ton would steam in, and open her fire on the place. 
The Mexican officer, seeing that discretion was the better 
part of valor, promised not to attempt any interference 
— on the contrary, he entertained him hospitably till the 
gale subsided. Boggs then thanked his would-be captor 
for his civility, and, bidding him adieu, pushed off to the 
Truxton, and soon she was a mass of flames on the 
water. 

The Princeton was soon after ordered to the Medi- 



COMMANDS A CALIFOKNIA STEAMEE. 187 

terranean, and Boggs visited once more the scenes of Lis 
early service. Tliis steamer was a propeller — tlie first 
ever seen in tlie Grecian seas — and wlien she entered the 
Piraeus, the captain ordered the smoke-pipe lowered. 
No smoke being visible, as she burned anthracite coal, 
she moved majestically up the bay, without any ap- 
parent means of propulsion, much to the astonishment 
of the Greeks. Seeing no steam-pipe, and no wheels, she 
seemed to them a living thing, endued with a vitality 
of her own. 

The Italian revolution of 1848 was now in full prog- 
ress, and during the cruise Boggs saw much of it. 

Two years after, we find him executive officer of 
the St. Lawrence, which had been designated by the 
Government to carry the American contributions to 
the World's Fair in London. On his return, he was 
appointed First Lieutenant of the New York Navy 
Yard, and afterwards Inspector of clothing and provi- 
sions in the same yard. In this new field of duty, he 
showed great ability — introducing reforms, and putting 
a stop to many abuses which had crept into the depart- 
ment. 

When the Government made a contract with the 
California Steam Company to carry the mails, one condi- 
tion of it was that a United States officer should com- 
mand their passenger boats, and Boggs was selected to 
command the Illinois. This was in 1 855. The position was 
a very responsible one, and the duties connected with it 
most arduous. The gold fever was at its height, and the 
vessels were crowded with passengers, sometimes a thou- 
sand in number ; many of whom were rough, lawless ad- 
venturers, requiring the greatest tact and nerve to keep 
proper subordination. But no better man could be found 



188 COMMODOKE CHARLES STUAET BOGGS. 

than lie for that very duty. He possessed the sucwiter in 
modo and fortiter in re in a remarkable manner, and he 
succeeded in maintaining order, and acquiring the esteem 
and respect of all. 

Captain Boggs, with his wife and daughter, were at 
Panama during the massacre of 1856, and narrowly es- 
caped falling victims to it. 

He served as commander of the Illinois for three 
years, and then was transferred to the coast of California. 
The light-house system needed extension, and in 1859 
and 1860, he was appointed Inspector of Lights. The 
steamer Shubrick was placed under his command, and he 
was required to make two annual trips along the coast 
from Vancouver's Island to Lower California, inspecting 
old lights, and carrying supplies to them, and surveying 
sites for new ones. 

In performing this duty, he was enabled, at the same 
time, to complete the exploration of the western coast of 
the continent, which he had partially carried out so many 
years before. 

In steaming amid the rocks and narrow channels of 
these comparatively unknown shores, he had several nar- 
row escapes from shipwreck. 

He was thus engaged when the rebellion broke out. 
Commander Boggs now found himself in an unpleasant 
position, and his feelings respecting it, as well as his 
views of the rebellion, may be gathered from the follow- 
ing extracts from a letter written at the time to a fiiend : 

I am lieart-sick of tlie state of our country — we are in a great state of 
excitement here. * * * ^he time Las arrived for every one to define his 
position — tliose -who are not for the Government, as it is, should be de- 
nounced as traitors, and meet a traitor's doom. I shall stick by the flag 
that I swore, thirty years ago, to protect. I am disagreeably and peculiarly 
situated— on special duty — so that I dare not leave and return East, as my 



HIS VIEWS ON THE REBELLION. 189 

inclinations would prompt ; out of funds to carry on tliis duty — no special 
orders to govern me in the peculiar state of the country. Should a j)rivateer 
of Jeff. Davis appear on these waters, my force is not able to meet her, and 
I have no authority or means to increase my crew, or mount a heavy gun, 
without which I should be cut to pieces at long shot, by any thing that 
might come along. 

I have obtained a very excellent silver-mounted Mexican saddle, valued 
at over two hundred and fifty dollars, bridle, spurs, &c., complete. I wish 
you would present it to the most daring and gallant soldier from our little 
county of Middlesex, N. J., or from the State, if you learn who distinguishes 
himself on the side of the Constitution and the Union. * * * 

Give my regards to all who know me, and say that I am for the Consti- 
tution and Union, and down with traitors 1 I only wish the Government 
would order me home. * * * 

Thus, from tlie £xr-off coast of California, wLicli was 
trembling in the balance between the North and South, 
came his voice for the Union. No wonder he chafed in 
the position in which he found himself — no funds to go 
on with his peaceful duties — no heart to do it, if he had. 
Helpless, if attacked, and no autliority to place himself 
in a state of defence, he felt pressed down as by a night- 
mare. 

Fortunately his letter to the Government, begging for 
active employment afloat, where he could strike, at least, 
one good blow for the honor of the flag, and the salvation 
of his country, was favorably received, and he was ordered 
home. Never was an order more welcome, and it took 
him but little time to pre^^are for his departure. On 
reaching home, he was placed in command of the Varuna, 
a passenger steamer, which had been bought by the De- 
partment, and changed into a gunboat, and ordered to 
join FaiTagut's fleet below New Orleans. 

When Farragut had determined to run past the forts 
with his fleet and proceed on up to the city, he gave pre- 
cise and detailed orders to each of the commanders, and 
assigned them their respective positions. 



190 COMMODOEE CHARLES STUART BOGGS. 

Boggs, wlio knew what a frail thing his gunboat was, 
sought an interview with him and told him that his ves- 
sel would never bear any long pounding from the heavy 
guns of the fort, which he would be compelled to endure 
if he was required to move slowly, and asked permission to 
go ahead of his station, which he knew he could do, 
as the Varuna was a very fast boat. Farragut good- 
naturedly complied with his request, provided he would 
not run down and sink any rebel craft in the channel, 
as that might obstruct the free passage of the rest of the 
fleet. 

Boggs' plan was now soon formed, and on the morn- 
ing of the advance he moved up the stream, second from 
the flag-ship of his division. Ordinary fuel, he knew, 
would not get up steam fast enough, and he had the 
pork, which formed a part of his ship's stores, already 
prepared to throw into the furnace. At the proper time, 
it was cast on to the hissing coals — the fires blazed up, 
and with a full head of steam on, he dashed ahead. 
When abreast of the forts, he fired his starboard battery, 
loaded with five-second-shell. " Now ! " exclaimed Boggs, 
" fire with grape and canister as fast as possible," and the 
frail boat shot ahead, wraj^ped in flame, and was soon 
above the forts. Looking around him in the early twi- 
light, he saw that he was in a perfect nest of rebel gun- 
boats, ranged on both sides of the river. He instantly 
gave orders to " work both sides, and load with grape." 
Cool, and a23parently unexcited, the men trained their 
guns with such precision, that scarcely a shot failed to 
hit its mark, while the forward and aft pivot-guns also 
kept up their steady fire. The first rebel vessel that re- 
ceived his fire, seemed crowded with troops. At the 
first discharge, her boiler exploded, and she drifted 



FIGHT OF THE VAEUNA. 191 

ashore. Three other vessels, in quick succession, were 
now driven ashore in flames, and blew up. At this mo- 
ment, just as the sun had risen above the horizon, lighting 
up the strange scene, he saw a vessel, iron-clad about the 
bows, bearing down full upon him. As the rebel vessel 
approached, she fired a thirty-two-pound rifled gun, which 
raked the Varuna terribly, killing and wounding thirteen 
men. The marines now poured in a galling fire, which 
swept the gunners clear of the piece, so that it could not 
be fired again. The next moment she struck his vessel in 
the port gangway, athwart the mainmast, crushing in her 
timbers, and causing her to careen over in the water. 
Backing off, she again came on, hitting nearly in the same 
place, staving in the side. But Boggs ordered the en- 
gineer to go ahead, and the Varuna, pushing up stream, 
swung the rebel steamer around, leaving her wooden 
side exposed. Instantly, Boggs poured in abaft her armor 
eight-inch shells. Five in quick succession entered her 
side, bursting with such destructive force, that the cap- 
tain afterwards said they swept his decks of nearly every 
living object. " This," said Boggs, " settled her, and 
drove her ashore in flames," 

The feeble, but gallant Varuna had hardly recovered 
from these two staggering blows, when the Stonewall 
Jackson, an iron-clad, came full upon her, striking her with 
a tremendous crash, and staving in her sides, so that the 
water poured in torrents into the vessel. * She was also 
on fire, and there was now no alternative but to run her 
ashore, and her bow was headed for the banks. The 
Oneida, Captain Lee, seeing her condition, rushed to her 
assistance, but Boggs, finding that he could do him no 
good, waved him on toward the Governor Moore, which, 
though in flames, kept up a llea^^ fire, that swejit the 



192 COMMODOEE CHARLES STUART BOGGS. 

deck of tlie Varuna. Fast settling in tlie water, as she 
struggled towards the shore, her guns kept booming over 
the bosom of the Mississippi, until the water was above 
the trucks — the last shot just skimming the surface. Cap- 
tain Bailey saw with pride how the wounded thing fought, 
and says : " I saw Boggs bravely fighting, his guns level 
with the water, as his vessel gradually sunk underneath, 
leaving her bow resting on the shore, and above water." 
The coolness and foresight of Boggs were strikingly shown 
in running his vessel ashore. When he saw her gun- 
trucks under water, and knew the last shot had been 
fired, he hastened forward, and ordered a chain-cable out, 
and, the moment the bow struck the bank, he had it fast- 
ened round a tree, so that the vessel, as she sunk stern 
first, might not slide off into deep water and carry the 
crew with her. At the same time, the chief engineer 
coolly walked up to him, and, touching his hat, reported : 
" The engine has stoj^ped working, sir." With him came 
the gunner, who, with the same salute, said : " The maga- 
zine is closed, sir, and here are the keys." This shows 
with what cool deliberation the vessel was fought, — ^no 
hurry, no excitement, though the hostile vessels were 
all arouud her, shells bursting along her decks, ii*on- 
clad bows beatins^ in her sides, and fire rao-ino; alons; her 
decks. 

In fifteen minutes after receiving the last blow, the 
Varuna went ' down, with her guns roaring and her flag 
proudly flying. 

During the action, a boy named Oscar Peck, only 
thirteen years old, whose business was to pass ammunition 
to the gunners, narrowly escaped death, as one of the 
enemy's shells burst along the deck. Just then, Boggs 
came upon him, begrimed with powder, and seeing him 



A URAVE BOY. 193 

running, asked liim wliere lie was going in sucli a hurry. 
"To get a passing box, sir," lie replied; "the other was 
smashed by a ball." When the Varuna went dov/n 
Boggs missed the boy, and thought he was among the 
killed. But a few moments after, he saw the lad gallantly 
swimming towards the wi^eck. Clambering on board, the 
little fellow threw his hand up to his forehead, in the usual 
salute, for his hat was gone, with the simple exclamation 
"All right, sir, I report myself on board ! " That boy was 
worthy to be trained under such a man as Boggs. Delight- 
ed with his gallantry, he said in his report : " I would 
particularly recommend to the notice of the Department 
Oscar Peck, a second-class boy, and powder-boy of the after 
rifles, whose coolness and intrepidity attracted the atten- 
tion of all hands. A just reward for such services AYould 
be an appointment at the Naval School." 

Boggs was now without a ship, but in losing it had 
not lost his honor, but, on the contrary, won immortal 
fame, and showed that he was a worthy nephew of the 
gallant Lawrence, who lost his life and ship together. 

Boggs was now sent by Farragut to General Butler 
below, to request him to bring his army up, as the fleet 
had passed the forts. Taking the only iron life-boat of the 
Varuna which was saved, he passed around the forts by 
a bayou, and safely delivered his message. 

As a reward for his gallantry in this unparalleled 
naval combat, his native town and state both voted him 
a sword. 

Boggs now came North, and was ordered first to the 
Juniata, and afterwards transferred to the Sacramento, in 
which vessel he was senior officer of the blockading 
squadi'on off Wilmington. To a man of his enterprise 
and love of active service, this was a most disagreeable 

13 



194 C03DI0D0KE CHAELES STUAllT BOGGS. 

duty, especially as lie had an insufficient squadron, or, 
at least, an inefficient one, in the speed and power of the 
vessels that composed it. The constant exposure and 
fatigue attendant on his duties here, at length broke 
down his health, and he was reluctantly compelled to 
resign his command, and return home to recruit and re- 
ceive that medical treatment of which he was in pressing 
need. 

As soon as he was sufficiently recovered, he was ap- 
pointed one of Admiral Gregory's staff, on duty at New 
York. Here he was actively engaged in superintending 
the building and fitting out of a fleet of steam picket- 
boats of his own planning. One of these, No. 1, was, by 
him and Engineer Wood, converted into a torpedo-boat. 
How well it was planned and coustructed, may be infer- 
red from the fact that it was the one selected by Lieu- 
tenant Gushing to make his memorable attack on the 
rebel ram Albemarle, in which that dreaded monster 
was sent to the bottom. 

The iron-clad torpedo-boat, Spuyten Dujwil, was also 
fitted out under Gaptain Boggs' directions. 

After the close of the war, Boggs was put in com- 
mand of the squadi'on ordered to the coast of Maine, to 
watch the Fenian movement. On returning from this 
duty, he was ordered, vnth his vessel, the De Soto, to 
join the West India squadron, and is now on active duty 
at that station. 

Last summer he was made Gommodore by seniority. 
Some of the most striking traits in the character of Gom- 
modore Boggs, are clearly exhibited in the manner he 
fought and handled his vessel in the passage of the Forts 
below New Orleans. Prompt, fearless, cool, and self-pos- 
sessed, dangers cannot daunt him, and no obstacles arrest 



HIS CHAEACTER. 195 

him. But, added to these qualities as a commander, he 
has those of a man, which make him unusually beloved 
by those who know him. Gentle, amiable, and in- 
dulgent in his family, he is equally so on ship, in every 
thing that does not interfere with the discij^liue and good 
order of the vessel. He overlooks many things that one 
more of a martinet would notice. Mere technicalities he 
cares little for, but he exacts the strictest, most thorough, 
performance of duty. Like many other strong men, he 
needs a great object to develop his real character. To an 
ordinary observer, he seems merely good-natured, and in- 
clined to be lazy ; but place him amid the smoke of bat- 
tle, and he is like the roused lion. 

Kind and sympathizing in his nature, he is very care- 
ful of the health and comfort of his men, and they repay 
that kindness by affection and supreme devotion. 



CHAPTEE VIII. 

REAR-ADMIRAL LOUIS MALESHERBES GOLDSBOROUGH. 

HIS NATIVITY. — A MIDSHIPMAN AT SEVEN TEAES OF AGE. — HIS FIRST CETTISE. 
EAELY SERVICES — A LIEUTENANT AT TWENTY. — PROSECUTES HIS STUDIES 
AT PARIS. — BATTLE WITH PIRATES IN THE ARCHIPELAGO. — PLACED IN 
CHARGE OF THE DEPOT OF CHARTS AND INSTRUMENTS AT WASHINGTON. — 
ESTABLISHES A GERMAN COLONY IN FLORIDA. — TAKES PART IN THE SEMI- 
NOLE WAR. — TAKES PART IN THE BOJIBARDMENT OF VERA CRUZ. — EX- 
PLORES THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA AND OREGON. — COMMANDS THE BRA- 
ZILIAN SQUADRON. — MADE CAPTAIN. — AT COMMENCEMENT OF THE REBEL- 
LION, MADE FLAG-OFFICER OF THE NOETH-ATLANTIO BLOCKADING SQUAD- 
EON. — COMMANDS THE EXPEDITION SENT TO THE SOUNDS OF NORTH CARO- 
LINA. — STORMS AT CAPE HATTEEAS. — ITS DESTRUCTIVE EFFECTS. — SAILS FOE 
ROANOKE ISLAND. — BOMBARDMENT OF THE WORKS. — HIS SERVICES IN THE 
CHESAPEAKE BAY AND JAMES EIVER. — RESIGNS HIS COMMAND. — SHORE 
DUTY. — PEESENT COMMAND. 

Louis Malesheebes Goldsborough was born in 
Washington, D. C, on February 18tli, 1805. His fatlier 
and friends, living at the very focus of political influences, 
were not compelled to work, through some Congressman 
from a remote district, to secure an appointment for him 
in the Navy, and he was entered as midshipman, at the 
extraordinary age of seven years. A mere boy, he could 
learn but little, and do but little in his profession. It is 
probable that he was appointed at that time, in order to 
secure a vacancy that might not again occur for a long 



BECOMES MIDSHIPMAiq-. 19T 

time. At all events, lie did not enter the service till four 
years after. When eleven years old, he joined the frigate 
Independence, Tinder the gallant Bainbridge. From 1817 
to 1824, he cruised in the MediteiTanean and Pacific, be 
ing most of the time in the Franklin, commanded by 
Stewart. In 1825, he was made lieutenant, being then 
but twenty years of age. In a time of peace, to reach so 
early the grade of lieutenant, was almost unprecedented, 
and shows that his friends had great influence at head- 
quarters. This was still further evinced by his obtain- 
ing leave of absence to visit Europe. He settled himself 
down in Paris, and prosecuted his studies there for some 
time, and then joined the North Carolina, in the Mediter- 
ranean. He was transferred from this vessel to the 
schooner Porpoise. The schooner, while cruising in the 
Grecian Archipelago, fell in with a craft that had been 
captured by pirates. Lieutenant Goldsborough, then 
only twenty-two or three years old, was ordered to take 
the boats of the schooner and recapture it. Thirty- 
five officers and men, were put under him, and 
the young officer shoved off to execute the order. It 
was a hazardous undertaking, for the captured vessel 
swarmed with pirates. He, however, rowed boldly up 
to her and oj^ened a close, fierce fire. It was returned, 
and a severe conflict followed. The vessel was at length 
taken, but not till every officer and man had killed, upon 
an average, nearly three pirates apiece. The decks were 
slippery with blood, and a horrible sight met his gaze as 
he stepped upon them, for ninety men had fallen in the 
eno:aojement. 

In 1830, he returned to the United States in the 
Delaware, and was placed in charge of the Depot of 
Charts and Instruments. This bureau, or whatever it 



198 EEAE- ADMIRAL LOULS 31. GOLDSBOEOUGH. 

may "be termed, was clianged on his own suggestion into 
the National Observatory. 

He had some time pre\^ously married the daughter of 
the distinguished orator, William Wirt. The latter had 
purchased a large tract of land in Florida, on which he 
wished to found a German colony, and, in 1833, Golds- 
borough took charge of the emigrants and moved thither. 
He was there when the Seminole war broke out, and 
took command of a company of mounted volunteers. He 
afterwards was placed in command of an armed steamer. 

Becoming tired of the kind of life he was compelled 
to lead in Florida, he resumed his profession, and, in 
1841, was promoted to commander. 

When the Mexican war broke out, a few years after, 
he was placed second in command of the Ohio, which 
formed a part of the fleet that bombarded Vera Cruz. 

After the place fell, he took charge of a body of 
sailors, detached for shore service, at the taking of Tus- 
pan. 

At the close of the Mexican war, he was appointed 
senior naval member of a joint commission, appointed to 
explore California and Oregon, and report upon various 
military matters. He showed the same ability here that 
he had in all the trusts which had heretofore been com- 
mitted to him, and was, in 1855, made Captain. 

At the commencement of the rebellion, he was in 
command of the Congress, on the Brazilian station. He 
returned to the United States in August, 1861, and was 
appointed flag-officer ; and, next month, placed in com- 
mand of the North Atlantic blockading squadron, with 
the Minnesota as his flagship. 

Although we had taken possession of Cape Hatteras, 
thus cutting off one of the channels of ingress and egress 



EXPEDITION TO EOANOKE. 199 

to blockade runners, still, the shallow inlets and sounds 
on the North Carolina coast furnished other avenues of 
approach, through which arms, ammunition, clothing, 
and stores were brought into the Confederacy, and 
cotton taken out ; and hence, it became of vital im- 
portance that the waters of Albemarle and Pamlico 
Sounds should be under our control. A joint expe- 
dition of the army and navy was, therefore, organized 
with great secrecy, to be sent thither ; and all through 
the autumn was being assembled at or near Hampton 
Roads — the land force to be under Burnside, and the 
fleet under Goldsborough. Although it was well knowm 
that the coast, in the neighborhood of Hatteras, was very 
stoiTuy and dangerous in winter, by some strange fatal- 
ity the expedition lingered out the mild autumnal season 
in Hampton Eoads, and was not ready to sail till near 
the middle of January, 1862. The fleet consisted of 
twenty-three light-draught vessels, carrying forty-eight 
guns. The land force numbered sixteen thousand men, 
and were carried in thirty transports. Five vessels more 
carried the horses, eight or ten the siege-train, supj^lies, 
tfec, making in all a fleet of nearly eighty vessels. 

This was an imposing force, and, when it was all 
assembled in Hampton Koads, presented a magnificent 
appearance, the like of which had never before been seen 
on our continent. 

On Saturday night, the 11th of January, the signal 
to make sail was hoisted, and by ten o'clock this mag- 
nificent fleet was in motion. It was a beautiful moon- 
light night, and, as the vessels in one vast crowd moved 
ofi:' seaward, it seemed as if nothing along our coast could 
resist such an armada. As it approached the Atlantic, 
however, a heavy fog enveloped it, which continued more 



200 EEAR-ADMIEAL LOUIS M. GOLDSBOEOUGH. 

or less dense all tlie fore part of the next clay, Sunday 
But, in tlie afternoon it cleared up, and just as tlie sud 
was sinking in a blaze of glory over the Carolina shore, 
the fleet swept around Cape Hatteras, and hove-to off 
the inlet, twelve miles distant, to wait for the morning 
light, before attempting to cross the bar. Monday morn- 
ing dawned bright and beautiful, and a gentle south 
wind breathing of spring stole over the waters. Every- 
thing seemed propitious to the expedition. Still, Golds- 
borough felt some anxiety, as he saw the heavy breakers 
bursting over the bar — for, although there was but little 
wind, a heavy swell was rolling in, indicating that a 
storm was raging not far distant. The lighter vessels, 
however, one by one passed the bar safely, and anchored 
inside of the inlet, under the lee of the land. Thus Mon- 
day, the 13th, passed, but when night came on several of 
the heavier vessels were still outside, while a dark cloud 
in the north, accom]3anied by a heavy squall, showed that 
a change of weather must be expected on this tempestu- 
ous coast. The next morning — the v/orst of all winds 
for that region — a northeasterly gale was upon them, 
lashing the ocean into fury. Goldsborough saw with the 
deepest anxiety the increasing storm, for the City of New 
York lay aground on the bar, loaded mth ammunition, 
tents, blankets, and valuable stores, and wallowing amid 
the breakers that leaped above her decks, like malignant 
spirits seeking her destruction. The foremast had been 
cut away, which, in its fall, carried away the main top- 
mast, while amid the blinding spray a signal of distress 
was seen fljdng. In this terrible situation, the long, 
gloomy day wore away, and night closed in around the 
ill-fated vessel. "With the first gleam of dawn. Golds- 
borough cast his eye towards the spot where she lay 



WEECK OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK. 201 

and saw lier crew lashed to the masts. All her boats but 
one had been carried away, and, no help coming from the 
fleet, two mechanics from Newark, named William and 
Charles Beach, volunteered to make the desiderate at- 
tempt, with this one, to pull through the breakers and 
obtain assistance. They succeeded, with three others, in 
launching it safely, and though, at times, entirely lost to 
view amid the combing billows, at length reached the 
fleet. Life and surf boats were now manned, which, 
impelled by strong arms, succeeded in reaching the 
vessel and taking off the crew, when she was left to her 
fate. 

A transport laden with stores went down on the 
bar ; the gunboat Zouave sunk at her anchorage ; one 
transport was blown out to sea, and several got aground. 

The Anne E. Thompson, with the New Jersey Ninth 
Volunteers, lay outside in imminent peril of wreck, and 
Colonel Allen and Surgeon Weller took a boat and 
pulled over the bar to ask for help. On their return, 
the boat swamped, and they both perished. The Poca- 
hontas, with a hundred and twenty-three horses, was 
wrecked, and all but seventeen drowned. Gale now 
followed gale in quick succession, and the ships, in their 
miserable anchorage, lay grinding against each other 
and tossing heavily on the swell, while the shrieking of 
the wind through the cordage, and the thunder of bil- 
lows felling with incessant crashes along the shore, con- 
tinued to make a scene of terror and gloom sufficient to 
sadden the stoutest heart. To add to his misery. Golds 
borough was taken down with the rheumatism, and 
groaned aloud over his helplessness in this trying hour. 
The whole week passed without anything being done. 
Of course, the destination of the fleet, which had so long 



202 EEAE- ADMIRAL LOUIS M. GOLDSBOEOUGH. 

and laboriously been kept secret, was now known, and 
all liopes of surprise were at an end. 

When, at last, nearly all tlie surviving fleet liad suc- 
ceeded in reacliing tke inlet, Goldsborougli found tkat 
he still had an almost insurmountable difliculty to over- 
come, before he could enter the waters of the Pamlico 
Sound. There was another bar still to be crossed, called 
the Bulk-Head, or Swash, which, Goldsborough said? 
under the most favorable circumstances, furnished only 
seven and a half feet of water, while some of his heaviest 
vessels drew eight feet. By what strange fatuity vessels 
were sent where there was not water enough to float 
them, has never been satisfactorily explained. One by 
one, however, by taking advantage of high tides, and 
high winds bringing in a heavy sea, and using every 
expedient that ingenuity could suggest, Goldsborough 
finally got his vessels over into deep water. 

On Monday the 26th, he sent home a des]3atch an- 
nouncing that seventeen vessels were safely within the 
Sound. But other delays took place, and it was not 
until three weeks after his arrival at the Cape, that the 
expedition, which was to be a great surprise, finally got 
under way. 

On the 5th of February, the same day that Foote 
was moving up the Cumberland River to attack Fort 
Henry, the fleet of gunboats and transports carrying the 
aiiny, sixty-five in all, moved off towards Roanoke Island, 
on which were erected works that commanded the chan- 
nel leading into Albemarle Sound. 

The storms had blown themselves out, and the day 
was mild and balmy as spring, as the imposing fleet 
moved majestically forward over the smooth waters. 

Wlien within ten miles of the southern point of the 



ATTACK OF THE FOETS. 203 

island, it being near sundown, the signal to anchor was 
hoisted from the flagship, and in a few minutes the fleet 
lay at rest on the water. It was a beautiful moonlight 
night, and as the mellow radiance flooded the scene, it 
did not seem that death and havoc lay slumbering there. 

The morning, however, dawned dark and gloomy. 
Heavy clouds lay along the horizon, as the fleet once 
more moved slowly onward, and by eleven o'clock a storm 
broke over the sound, when it again came to a halt. Af- 
ter some time it cleared up, and the signal to advance 
was given. The weather, however, was too heavy to 
undertake to pass the batteries that night, and the vessels 
came to anchor. The next morning the sun rose in a sky 
mottled with fleecy clouds, indicating a quiet day, and 
preparations were at once made to attack the enemy's 
works. As Goldsborough approached them, he came in 
sight of the rebel gunboats, eight in number, drawn up 
behind a double row of piles and simken vessels, placed 
there to obstruct the (channel. Besides these obstructions, 
and rebel steamers to defend the passage, there were two 
strong works mounting t^venty heavy guns — three of 
them one hundred pound rifle guns — and four other bat- 
teries mounting twenty guns, together with a garrison of 
from three to five thousand men. 

At eleven o'clock the first gun from the flagship broke 
the ominous silence, and, as the loud report rolled away 
over the water, Goldsborough ran up Nelson's famous 
signal : " This day our country expects that every man will 
do his duty." By noon the combat was raging in all its 
terror, and the signal for close action was seen flying amid 
the smoke of the guns that curled lazily up in the atmos- 
phere. Goldsborough directed his fire at first against 
the rebel gunboats, which gradually fell back to draw his 



204 EEAK-ADMIEAL LOUIS M. GOLDSBOEOUGH. 

vessels in close range of the works. The fleet steadily 
advanced until it reached the obstructions, which had 
been planted just where the rebel forts could pour in their 
most destructive fire. To these Goldsborough gave his 
exclusive attention, and the ponderous shell of our ves- 
sels dropped thick as hailstones within them. The enemy 
replied, and soon one eighty-pound rifle shell entered the 
fore-hold of the Louisiana, setting her on fire. In six 
minutes however the flames were extinguished, and the 
vessel was again hurling shot and shell into the rebel 
^vorks. At half past one the barracks behind the fort 
at Rock Point were set on fire by our shells. All efforts 
to extinguish them proved abortive, and the clouds of 
smoke that arose, making a fearful background to the 
fire of the batteries, imparted additional terror to the 
scene. The fire raged for nearly an hour before the 
buildings were wholly destroyed. In the mean time the 
bombardment went on, and at a little after 2 o'clock a 
32-pounder round-shot struck the steamer Hetzel, Lieut. 
H. R. Davenport commanding, compelling her to haul 
off to repair damages. In a little over an hour and a 
half she was again at her position, pouring in her shot 
as before. 

The bombardment of the forts, which had commenced 
before noon, was kept up till dark. Goldsborough says : 

At 6 p. m. the firing of the enemy being only from Pork Point, and at 
long intervals, darkness comiag on, and, not wishing to waste ammunition, 
I ordered the signal " cease firing " to be made. In the course of the after- 
noon, our sis launches, under the command of Midshipman Benjamin H. 
Porter, landed their howitzers and joined the army, for the purpose of com- 
manding the main road and its two forks during the night, and assisting in 
more active operations the following morning. By midnight some 10,000 
of our troops had been safely landed at Ashby's harbor, the Delaware having 
taken on board from the Cossack some 800, and put them on shore at 10 p. m. 

February 8. — As it was arranged by General Burnside that his forces 



THE VICTOEY. 205 

should move, at a very early hour this morning, from where they had been 
landed, and begin their attack upon the enemy, and, as the direction they 
were required to take would, in all probability, soon bring them in the line 
of fire occupied by the navy, it was agreed between us last night that to-day 
the vessels should not renew operations until I could receive word from him 
that their missiles would not be destructive to both friends and foes. At day- 
light none of the enemy's vessels, except the Curlew, could be discovered. 

At 9 A. M. a continuous firing in the interior of the island told us that 
our forces were hotly engaged about midway between Ashby's harbor and 
Pork Point battery, and, as this intelligence also assured us that our forces 
were not then in the range of our line of fixe, our vessels, without waiting 
to hear from General Burnside, at once moved up to re-engage the forts. 
At this work they continued until the firing in the interior evidently slack- 
ened. Then, taking it for granted that our troops were can-ying everything 
before them, and thus fast approaching the rear of the batteries, I again 
ordered the signal " cease firing " to be made. At the time, however, the 
work on Pork Point was so reduced that it did not use but one gun against 
us. Shortly afterwards, on being informed by one of General Burnside's 
aids, of the actual state of things on shore, 1 was induced to order another 
demonstration on the part of our vessels, but before firing had generally com- 
menced Commander Kowan came on board the Southfielcl just from General 
Burnside, with the suggestion that it would be better to desist, and accord- 
ingly they were recalled. 

At 1 p. M., judging that the time had arrived for clearing a passage-way 
through the obstructions alluded to above, by the accomiDlishment of which 
both the battery on Redstone Point and the Curlew might be destroyed, 
and our advance up Albemarle Sound would be secured, the Underwriter, 
Valley City, Seymour, Lockwood, Ceres, Shawsheen, Putnam, Whitehead, 
and Biincker, were ordered to perform the service. By 4 p. m., one of them 
had overcome the difiiculty for herself, and reached the other side, and in 
less than an hour more a sufiicient way for all the rest was opened. This 
important duty could not have been undertaken one moment earlier than it 
was without exposing our vessels, huddled together, to the converging and 
crossfire of the four batteries at Pork, Weir's, and Redstone Points, and 
another one situated between the former two. About the same time that 
our vessels succeeded in bursting through the barricades the American flag 
was hoisted over the battery at Pork Point, and in a few minutes afterwards 
the enemy himself fired the works at Redstone Point, and also the steamer 
Curlew. Both blew up in the early part of the evening. These events 
closed the struggle, which had now lasted throughout two days, and were 
essentially the last scenes enacted in securing to us complete possession of 
the island of Roanoke. 

The casualties were few, considering the length of 



206 EEAE-ADMIRAL LOUIS M. GOLDSBOEOUGH. 

tlie combat, and showed poor firing on tlie paii; of the 
rebels. The Hetzel suffered most, not from the enemy's 
shot, but from the bursting of her own 80-pounder rifle- 
gun. This took place at a quarter past five. The con- 
cussion was so fearful, that every man at the piece was 
knocked down and six of them wounded. 

The muzzle fell on the deck ; a part of the breech 
leaped into the sea, carrying away the bulwarks in its 
mad plunge ; another portion rose high in the air, and a 
third went downward, breaking thi^ough the deck, maga- 
zine, and deck below, and lodged on the kelson. Daven- 
port, the commander, says : " The magazine was set on 
fire, and only extinguished in time to avoid an explosion 
by the presence of mind, promptitude, and intrepidity of 
Lieutenant Charles L. Franklin, Executive Ofiicer." The 
accident so disabled her, that she had to haul off and 
anchor out of reach of the enemy's guns. The Commodore 
Perry was hit seven times, but not materially injured. 
The Hunchback, Calhoun commanding, was struck eight 
times, and fired over three hundred shot and shell, yet 
not a man on board was wounded. All the commanders 
handled their vessels with great skill. The Stars and 
Stripes got aground, and remained so for two hours, 
under the fire of the battery, and all that time returned 
shot for shot, her officers behaving with great coolness 
and courage. Goldsborough, who had transferred his 
flag to the Southfield, remained on deck during the whole 
of the engagement. The total loss on board the ships 
was only thirteen, though Midshipman Porter, who com- 
manded a howitzer-battery on shore, lost twenty-three. 
The works were finally carried by the troops, which had 
been landed the night before, and advanced in three 
columns under the command of Reno, Foster, and Park. 



deury's bluff. 20*7 

The rebel steamers fled up Albemarle Sound, whither, 
the next day, Monday, Kowan pursued them and sunk 
or captured all but two.* 

Goldsborough now sent oft' various expeditious into 
the bays and rivers, to complete his conquest of the 
coast. A month later, Newbern fell, under a joint expe- 
dition of the army and navy ; the latter commanded by 
Rowan. In the mean time, Goldsborough's presence was 
needed in Hampton Roads, for the Merrimac had made 
her daring raid in those waters. After the destruction 
of the Merrimac, he cooperated with McClellan — keeping 
vessels in both James and York Rivers. Much hard 
work was done by the various commanders, but the only 
engagement worthy of particular mention, was that at 
Drury's Bluff, eight miles below Richmond. Heavy guns 
were here mounted, which completely commanded the 
river, so that our vessels could not ascend above it. 

In May, Goldsborough sent up the Galena, Aroostook, 
Naugatuck, Port Royal, and the Monitor, to silence, if 
possible, the works erected there, called Fort Darling. 
The Galena in advance, John Rodgers commanding, 
cleared the shores of the enemy. He says : 

We met with no artificial impedimeuts until we arrived at Ward's BluflF, 
about eight miles fi-om Richmond, where we encountered a heavy battery 
and two separate barriers, formed of piles and steamboats and sail vessels. 
The pilots both say that they saw the Jamestown and Yorktown among the 
number. 

The banks of the river we foimd lined with rifle-pits, from which sharp- 
shooters amioyed the men at the guns. These would hinder all removal of 
obstructions, unless driven away by a land force. 

The Galena ran within almost six hundred yards of the battery, as near 
the piles as it was deemed proper to go, let go her anchor, and with a spring 



* The particulars of this splendid achievement will be found in the sketch of 
Admiral Rowan. 



208 EEAR-ADMIRAL LOUIS M. GOLDSBOROUGH. 

swung across the stream, not more than twice as wide as the ship is long. 
Then, at 7.45 A. ai., opened fire upon the battery. 

The wooden vessels, as directed, anchored about thirteen hundred yards 
below. 

The combat lasted for two hours, the heavy echoes of 
the guns breaking with startling distinctness over Eich- 
mond, filling the inhabitants with terror. But the fight 
was too unequal, for the shot of the vessels could not be 
thrown with any accuracy up the hill, a hundred and 
fifty feet high, while the plunging balls fi'om the fort 
went through and through the Galena. The vessel being 
compelled, on account of the narrowness of the river, to 
remain stationary, the enemy, when he once got the 
range, made his shots tell so fatally, that in a short time 
twenty-four of the crew of the Galena were killed or 
wounded, and she had been struck some eighteen times. 
The 100-j)ounder rifle-gun on board the Naugatuck burst 
early in the action, and she became useless. She had 
but two wounded, and the Monitor one. 

This was the first reverse our iron-clads had met 
with, and the people of Richmond were highly elated at 
the result. Rodgers could not run the batteries, on ac- 
count of the obstructions that were placed across the 
river, directly under fire of the fort. 

Admii-al Lee, succeeding Goldsborough (^v^ho asked to 
be relieved on account of disagreement with Wilkes), in 
the command of the North Atlantic blockading squadi'on 
in the forepart of September, the latter was employed 
afterward on shore duty. At Washington, he rendered 
the Government good service, and was active in his de- 
partment until the close of the war. He was then placed 
m command of the European squadron, which position 
he at present holds. 



CHAPTER IX. 

COLONEL CHARLES ELLEI. 

AMERICAN INGEimiTY. — ELLEt's NATIVITY EAELY EDTJOATION. — BECOMES 

STJEVEYOE. — FINISHES HIS EDUCATION IN PARIS. — BECOMES ENGINEEH-IN- 
CHIEF ON THE JAMES RIVER AND KANAWHA CANAL. — PUBLISHES A WORK ON 
THE LAWS OF TRADE. — PROPOSES TO BUILD A WIRE BRIDGE ACROSS THE MIS- 
SISSIPPI. — BUILDS THE FIRST SUSPENSION BRIDGE IN AMERICA. — PLANS- 
OTHERS. — VISITS EUROPE. — PLANS IMPROVEMENTS OF NAVIGATION IN 
THE OHIO EIVER.— SENT BY THE WAR DEPARTMENT TO SURVEY THE LOW- 
ER MISSISSIPPI. — PUBLISHES A WORK ON THE OHIO AND MISSISSIPPI RIVERS. 
— PLANS THERE THE RAM. — SUBMITS HIS INVENTION TO THE RUS- 
SIAN EMPEROR. — ALSO TO OUR NAVY DEPAETMENT.^PUBLISHES A PAMPH- 
LET ON HIS PROJECTS. — URGES HIS INVENTION ON GOVERNMENT AT THE. 
BREAKING OUT OF THE REBELLION.— ATTACKS m'cLELLAN. — SENT WEST TO 
BUILD RAMS. — HIS DIFFICULTIES. — HIS FIRST EXPERIMENT AT MEMPHIS. — 
IS WOUNDED. — HIS SICKNESS AND DEATH. — CHARLES RIVERS ELLET. — HIS 
BIRTH AND EAELY EDUCATION. — JOINS THE EAM FLEET. — SUCCEEDS HIS 
FATHER. — HIS BRAVERY. — COMPLIMENTED BY PORTER. — ATTACKS THE CITY 
OP VICKSBUEG. — DESTROYS REBEL TRANSPORTS. — GETS AGROUND, AND 
LOSES HIS VESSEL. — COMMANDS THE SWITZERLAND. — RUNS THE VICKSBUEG 
BATTEEIES.— AFTER SERVICES. — HIS SICKNESS AND EARLY DEATH. 

American ingenuity is proverbial ; and, though it 
is often wasted on worthless objects and imjoracticable 
schemes, yet, in great exigencies, it is sure to originate 
something to meet them. And often what in ordinary 
times seems useless or impracticable, then becomes of 
immense value. The inventor may find no encourage- 

14 



210 GENERAL CHARLES ELLEl 

ment from his countrymen, and the Goverrmient decline 
to furnish means to test his proposed experiments, so that 
he frequently dies without seeing his plans tried — com- 
forted only by the belief that the time will arrive when 
they will be adopted with gladness. 

Of these inventors, Charles EUet was one who bid 
fair to die without seeing his favorite scheme carried out. 
The war however into which we were precipitated, gave 
to his applications a force that in times of peace they did 
not possess, and he saw the " Kam " finally adopted as 
a war vessel by his Government. 

Charles EUet was born at Perry Manor, on the Dela- 
ware, about twenty-five miles above Philadelphia. His 
boyhood was passed on his father's farm, but at sixteen 
he was sent to Bristol school, where he at once developed 
his love for mathematics, and indicated clearly his future 
profession. At eighteen, he became assistant surveyor of 
Maryland. Here he husbanded his earnings so that he 
might finish his education in Europe, and at twenty-one 
he went to Paris, where he remained for two years. Re- 
turning to Maryland he was appointed assistant engineer 
on the James Piver and Kanawha Canal, which was then 
being built, and eventually became engineer-in-chief. 
He proposed to build a wire suspension bridge across the 
Potomac, but his proposition was declined. 

Being noAV fairly launched in his profession, he mar- 
ried the daughter of Judge Daniel, of Lynchburg, Vir- 
ginia. 

In 1837, he published a book on "The Laws of Trade 
in Peference to Works of Internal Improvement," which 
showed great study of the various methods of inland com- 
munication. In 1840, he made to the authorities of St. 
Louis the bold proposition to build a wire bridge across 



ENGAGED IN PUBLIC WOKKS. 211 

the Mississippi, at that point, but it was rejected. The 
next year, however, he constructed the wire suspension 
bridge across the Schuylkill, at Fairmount, the first 
erected in America. He was now extensively employed 
and consulted on the great public works going on 
throughout the country. In 1847, he began the suspension 
bridge at Wheeling, for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, 
and also threw a temporary bridge over the Niagara 
River, just below the Falls. In the intervals of his la- 
bors he visited Europe several times, to enlarge his ex- 
perience, and was received there as a distinguished man 
in his profession. In 1846 and 1847 he was president of 
the Schuylkill Navigation Company. In 1848 and 1849 
he devoted himself a part of the time to making observa- 
tions and calculations on the Ohio River, for the purpose 
of devising some method of improving its navigation. 
Though his plan was not adoj)ted, the results of his labors 
were published in the Transactions of the Smithsonian 
Institute. 

Soon after, though not belonging to the army, he was 
selected by the War Department to survey the Lower 
Mississippi, in consequence of complaints being made to 
Congress, that the spring floods of the river were injur- 
ing the State, and destroying a vast amount of property. 
He performed the work assigned him with great ability, 
and published his report, together with the observations 
he had made on the Ohio, in a book form, entitled, " Ellet 
on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers." This is not the 
place to go into the details of his plan, which was on a 
gigantic scale, for the improvement of those rivers. By 
many it was thought chimerical, though he fully believed 
it would eventually be carried out. 

In 1854, Mr. Ellet was in Lausanne, and there being 



212 GENERAL CHAELES ELLET. 

mucli discussion at tlie time respecting tlie siege of Se- 
bastopol, and tlie blockade of tlie harbor by British 
vessels, his scheming mind was directed to war vessels, 
and then and there was born in his brain the new and 
famous ram, which hereafter is to bear such an important 
part in river and harbor defence. He submitted his plan 
to the Russian Emperor, declaring that with such ves- 
sels the Russians might sink the fleet of the allies. It 
was well received, though never acted on. The next 
spring he submitted it to John T. Mason, then our Min- 
ister at Paris. Ellet forwarded it to the Navy Depart- 
ment, but he received no encoui'agement, and in 1855 
published his plan, together with the correspondence 
with the Government, in a pamphlet form. 

The grand idea on which his invention was based, is 
thus given in the preface of this book : " People are ac- 
customed to regard the art of naval warfare as the art 
of manoeuvering cannon, and throwing shot and shell. I 
wish them to reflect upon the power of a moving steam- 
boat driven against the enemy, who has no means of re- 
sistance but his batteries, and to decide which is the 
more certain warfare." Again he says: "My plan is 
simply to convert the steamer into a battering-ram, and 
enable her to fight, not with her guns, but with her 
momentum." He proposed to strengthen it, so that it 
" could run head into the enemy, or burst in his ribs, or 
drive a hole into his hull below the water line." " This," 
he said, " would make the combat a short one ; for," he 
added, " a hole only two feet square, four feet under 
water, will sink an ordinary frigate in sixteen minutes. 
The pamphlet goes into all the details of his plan, shows 
how vessels could be converted into rams, and says : " I 
hold myself ready to carry it out, whenever the day 



PEESSES HIS PLAN ON CONGEESS. 213 

arrives tliat tlie United States is about to become en- 
gaged in a naval contest." 

To Ellet's proposition, Mr. Welch, tlien acting Secre- 
tary of the Navy, said, that " the suggestion to convert 
steamers into battering-rams, and by the momentum 
make them a means of sinking an enemy's ships, was 
proposed as long ago as 1832, and has been renewed 
many times since by various officers of the Navy." He 
added that no practical test had been undertaken, but 
acknowledged that, " with the necessary speed, strength, 
and weight, a large steamer on the plan proposed would 
introduce an entire change in naval warfare." Ellet 
subsequently urged his plan afresh, but Mr. Dobbin, Sec- 
retary of the Navy, said that the Department had no 
power to build vessels for such experiments, except by 
special vote of Congress. Mr. Ellet did not go on mere 
theory — he cited numerous cases of accidental collision 
at sea — some where merely a sailing vessel had sunk 
large ships, to show what deadly work might be done 
with a vessel built on purpose to run down an antago- 
nist. He cannot claim originality for his invention, for 
it had been discussed both here and abroad for years ; 
but it differed from all others in that he did not believe 
as they did, that great weight was necessary in order to 
make a ram efficient ; he insisted that the momentum re- 
quired could be obtained by speed, and that river steam- 
ers, steam-tugs, and even ferryboats might easily be con- 
verted into formidable engines of destruction, and suf- 
ficiently strong to sink the heaviest vessels of war that 
England might send against us. 

He was living at Washington at the time of the 
oreakiug out of the rebellion, devoting much time to the 
perfecting of his plans, and urging their adoption. The 



214 GENERAL CHAELES ELLET. 

commencement of war, of course, increased liis desire to 
have tliem tested, and lie vehemently pressed on the Gov- 
ernment and Congress the importance of putting them 
into 2)ractieal operation. When he learned that the 
rebels along the coast and on the Mississippi were turn- 
ing steamers into iron-clad rams, his excitement over the 
inaction of our Government made his fiiends almost 
dread his presence, for his importunity knew no bounds. 
He printed a memorial to Congress, and laid it on the 
tables of the members. In it he stated Avhat the rebels 
were doing, while the Navy Department had not taken 
the first step to meet this new and threatening evil. In 
speaking of the Merrimac, then in course of construction, 
he uses the following remarkable words : " If the Mem- 
mac is permitted to escape from the Elizabeth Kiver, she 
will be almost certain to commit great depredations on 
our armed or unarmed vessels in Hampton Roads, and 
may be even expected to pass out under the guns of 
Fortress Monroe and prey upon our commerce in Chesa- 
peake Bay. Indeed, if the alterations have been skilful- 
ly made, and she succeeds in getting to sea, she will not 
only be a terrible scourge to our commerce, but also may 
prove to be a most dangerous visitor to our squadron off 
the harbors of oui* southern coast." 

Mr. Ellet's active mind, not content with its legiti- 
mate work, also undertook to direct the war, and he 
formed a plan for cutting off the rebel army at Manassas, 
and submitted it to McClellan for adoption. The latter 
treating it as he did numerous similar plans which he 
received, EUet was very indignant, and wrote two 
pamphlets against him, in which he spoke in harsh and 
severe terms of the general-iu-chief. 

The sinking of the Cumberland and Congress by the 



SENT WEST TO BUILD EAMS. 215 

Meirimac, finally woke up tlie Government to the im- 
portance of Mr. Ellet's project and propositions, respect- 
ing the building of iron-clad rams. Still, the Navy De- 
partment had its hands full, and was spending the ap- 
propriation made by Congress for the increase of the 
Navy, in the building and purchasing of vessels of a dif- 
ferent kind. But when Foote reported from Island No. 
10 that the rebels had several gunboats on the Missis- 
sippi that could be used as rams, the Secretary of War 
took the responsibility of commissioning Ellet as Colonel 
of Engineers, and sending him west to buy and convert into 
rams such vessels as he could find there fit for his pur- 
pose. He set out in the latter part of March, and at 
Pittsburg purchased five heavy tow-boats, and at Cin- 
cinnati four side- wheel steamers. The bows of these he 
strengthened with heavy timbers, and sheathed with iron 
bars, and built strong bulkheads of oak around the 
machinery and boilers. The pilot-houses of each were 
also plated sufficiently thick to protect the pilots from 
musketry. But though he was able to get his boats in 
a proper condition, he found it very difficult to obtain 
crews and officers for them. Neither engineers nor pilots 
liked to serve on such kind of craft, destined for such 
new and hazardous work He finally obtained permis- 
sion to recruit from the army, and, his brother Alfred being 
a captain of volunteers, he sent for him. The latter came, 
bringing his own and another company with him. Ellet's 
energy and perseverance obtained also pilots and en- 
gineers, and he was at last in a condition to test his 
theory practically. 

In the mean time, before he had brought down his 
rams to join the fleet, commanded by Davis before Fort 
Pillow, the rebel flotilla attacked our gunboats, and seri- 



216 GEKEEAL CHAELES ELLET. 

ously damaged tlie Cincinnati and Mound City with 
their rams. What further mischief might be done no one 
could foretell ; and Ellet hastened forward some of his ves- 
sels, under the charge of his brother Alfred, and a few days 
after followed himself with the rest of them. The rebel 
fleet lay at this time below the fort, and under easy range 
of its fire, so that Davis could not attack it without 
at the same time encountering the batteries on shore. 
Ellet, on his arrival, asked Davis to give him the aid of a 
couple of gunboats, and he would steam past the fort, and 
attack the whole rebel flotilla of the enemy. This was a 
bold proposition, for at this time he had not a single 
cannon on board of his rams. The fighting force con- 
sisted of twenty-three sharpshooters, who were to fire 
through loopholes. 

Soon after, the rebels evacuated Fort Pillow and 
retired to Memphis, followed by their fleet. Davis now 
advanced with his gunboats, and when near Memphis 
was attacked by the latter. Ellet had been detained 
up the river, but at this time was coming down under 
a full head of steam, with his ram fleet, each one of which 
was painted black, to make it look as formidable as pos- 
sible. The Queen of the West was his flagship, and, 
standing on her deck as the heavy cannonading from beloAv 
broke on his ear, he stretched out his arm towards the 
Monarch, which his brother commanded, and shouted 
out : " Follow me and attack the enemy." Crowding on 
all steam that the boilers Avould bear, he swept like an 
arrow past the fleet, and, steering for the nearest rebel 
boat, named the General Lovell, struck her with such 
awful force, that her sides were crushed in like an egg- 
shell, and in five minutes she went to the bottom with 
most of her crew. The Queen of the West staggered 



ATTACK OF THE EAMS. 217 

back like a drunken man from the shock — her chimneys 
reeling almost to the water — while the splinters and shiv- 
ered timbers of her upper works made her deck appear 
like a Avreck. Before she could recover herself and once 
more get under headway, two rebel rams came full upon 
her — determined to send her to the bottom after the 
General Lovell. One struck her near the wheel-house, but 
inflicted only a glancing blow, and in turn received from 
her own consort, which ran into her, one which so disabled 
her that she was compelled to run ashore, when she 
sunk. The sharpshooters, in the mean time, were busy, 
while the heavy broadsides of the gunboats shook the 
shores of the stream. Alfred, in the Monarch, following 
his brother, struck ^the Beauregard, but inflicted no seri- 
ous damage, though the latter soon after blew up, the 
shot of the gunboats having pierced her boiler. 

The combined attack proving too strong for the rebel 
fleet, it turned and fled. The Monarch and Lancaster 
gave the Van Dorn a hot chase, but the latter finally got 
ofil 

In this sharp encounter, not a man on board the rams 
was injured but Colonel Ellet. After he struck the 
General Lovell, he stepped forward to see the amount 
of injury he had done her, when he was hit in the 
knee by a bullet, which lodged in the bone. The 
wound proved to be a dangerous one, for inflammation 
set in, and the only chance of saving his life was amputa- 
tion of the limb. This he would not consent to, declar- 
ing that he would rather die ; at all events, he preferred 
to take his chances. 

His experiment, as far as it went, was successful, but 
he determined it should have a fuller, more complete 
trial, and though suffering intensely, prepared to move 



218 CHAELES EIVERS ELLET. 

down witli tlie fleet to Vicksbm^g. But even his strong 
will could not resist tlie inroads tlie wound had made on 
his delicate, nervous frame, and he was compelled to 
abandon his project. Finding himself rapidly sinking, 
he sent for his family, by whom he was nursed with the 
greatest care, but he continued to grow worse. 

In the mean time, the fleet moved down the river to 
win new laurels, leaving him behind, to mourn the fate 
that had laid him aside just as he was on the threshold 
of his great enterprise. 

The command of the ram-fleet now devolved on his 
brother Alfred, and he told the latter, as he came to bid 
him farewell before he started, to cany out his plans, 
saying, as they parted forever : " Alfred^ stand to your 
posty He was now placed on board the Switzerland, 
and carried to Cairo, but just as the boat reached the 
wharf he expii'ed, breathing out his gallant sjpii'it in 
serene composui^e. Thus, on the 21st of June, 1862, at 
the age of fifty-two, this ardent, enthusiastic man passed 
away, leaving to others what he had fondly hoped to do 
himself. 

His broken-hearted wife soon followed him to the 
grave, leaving a gallant son, only nineteen years of age, to 
uphold his fame and carry out his project. 

CHAELES EIVEES ELLET. 

The son followed in the daring footsteps of his father, 
in command of one of the rams built by the latter, and 
followed him too, alas ! to the grave. Born in Georg\3- 
town. District of Columbia, in 1843, he was but eighteen 
years old when the war broke out. He had foiTaerly 
accompanied his father to Europe, and remained two 



THE SON SUCCEEDS THE FATHER. 219 

years in school at Paris. He was studying medicine 
when the &st "battle of Bull Kun took place, and volun- 
teered to act as assistant surgeon and nurse to the 
wounded that came pouring in from that disastrous bat- 
tle-field. 

When his father had just completed at the West the 
first of his rams, he joined him, and was given a place on 
board as medical cadet. He was in the battle before 
Memphis, and witnessed the first triumph of the rams. 
After it was over, he was sent by his father to demand 
the surrender of that city. 

When the fleet commenced its movement down the 
river towards Vicksburg, Charles reluctantly left the 
side of his wounded father, to accompany it. Selected 
by Davis to carry a despatch to Farragut, anchored 
below the place, he made his way through swamps and 
stagnant pools in the darkness, and, after a night of 
incessant peril and labor, at length in the morning stood 
on the shore opposite the Hartford. Firing his pistol to 
attract attention, he was taken on board, where he 
delivered his message. 

While on duty with his uncle Alfred up the Yazoo, he 
received on the 10th of July the melancholy tidings of 
the death of both father and mother, and the sickness of 
his only sister. He, however, felt it his duty to remain 
with the fleet, and, on the 5th of November, was placed 
in command of the rams, his uncle Alfred being given 
the command of the marine brigade. 

When Admiral Porter determined to force the Yazoo 
River at Haines Bluff, he directed young Ellet to 
destroy a raft of timber that obstructed the stream. Fit- 
ting a torpedo-raft of his own invention to the Lioness, 
the latter, after getting everything ready, reported himself 



220 CHAELES EIVEES ELLET. 

to Porter saying, tliat lie had two tons of powder in tlie 
bow of liis boat and asked for directions. Porter replied, 
tbat lie must steam directly up to the raft, whicli lay 
right under the enemy's guns, and blow it up. " But," 
said young Ellet, " don't you expect that the enemy will 
be filing as I do so, into my two tons of powder ? " " Oh 
yes ! " replied the Admii'al, " but yoa must'ut miiid bul- 
lets and shells, you know." Ellet, a little piqued at the 
answer, replied that he was not afraid of them — he desired 
only to know how he wished him to proceed. A more 
desperate undertaking could not well be imagined, yet 
Ellet was ready for it and would doubtless have per- 
formed it or been blown up, had not a dense fog set in 
as he was about to start, compelling the expedition to 
be abandoned. Porter was delighted with the j^luck of 
the youth, for he saw in him a spirit kindred to his o^vn, 
and wrote to the Department : " I have great confidence 
in the commander of the rams and those under him, and 
take this opportunity to state to the Department how 
highly I appreciate the commander and his associates." 
This was very extraordinary praise to bestow on a youth 
only nineteen years old. 

The next February, young Ellet was sent down with 
the ram Queen of the West, to sink, if possible, the " City 
of Vicksburg," that lay under the guns of the batteries. 
One of his guns was loaded with turpentine balls, de- 
signed to set the rebel vessel on fire. He boldly steamed 
dowm into the enemy's fire, and laid his vessel alongside 
of the City of Vicksburg, and opened on it with his 
guns, while the batteries on shore played furiously upon 
him. Although he set the rebel craft on fire, his own 
vessel also caught fire, and it was with great difficulty 
that the flames were extino^uished. 



LOSES HIS VESSEL. 221 

He did not succeed in destroying the ram, but tlie 
manner in wMch lie handled and fought his vessel as- 
tonished those who served under him. 

Soon after, he was sent down to the mouth of Red 
Rivei", to destroy rebel transports there, and in three 
days captured and destroyed three large steamers, valued 
at nearly half a million of dollars. 

On the 15th, he started again for the Red River, 
accompanied by the De Soto, and, learning that three 
steamers were lying under the guns of a battery stationed 
where soon after Fort De Bussy was erected, he deter- 
mined to capture them. But as he came within range 
of the guns, their fire was so destructive that he ordered 
the pilot to back the Queen of the West out of it. But 
in doing so he ran her aground, where she lay a helpless 
target. The rebels had the exact range, so that nearly 
every shot struck the doomed vessel. A frightful scene now 
followed. Ellet was unable to bring a gun to bear, and he 
could therefore only stand and see his vessel torn into 
fragments. On every side shells were bursting — three 
thii'ty-two-pound ones exploded one after another on 
the smoking deck, while one crashed through the ma- 
chinery below, and another carried a^vay the lever of the 
engine. The steam-23ipe went next, and last, the steam- 
chest was fractured, letting out a cloud of steam, and 
prisoners, crew, and engineers, who had crowded into 
the engine-room for safety, now rushed aft and began to 
tumble overboard cotton bales, on which they leaped, 
hoping to float down to the De Soto, a mile below. The 
negroes with loud cries jumped overboard and were 
drowned. Some ran for the yawl that was tied to the 
stern, but a man stood on the bow with a loaded pistol, 
and threatened to shoot the first man that attempted to 



222 CHAELES EHTEES ELLET. 

enter it. The De Soto steamed up as near as slie dared 
and tlien sent lier yawl to take off those who re- 
mained, but the fire of the batteries was so terrific that 
she had to di'op down stream again, before the boat 
returned. Ellet escaped on a cotton bale, and sorrowfully- 
made his way back to the squadron, blamed by some for 
his rashness, for the rebels captured the Queen of the 
West, and soon had her repaired and at work in the 
Confederate service. 

He was soon after put in command of the Switzer- 
land, which, with the Lancaster, commanded by his cousin 
John A. Ellet, Avas sent below Vicksburg to cooperate 
with Farragut. In passing the batteries, the boiler of the 
Switzerland, just as she got opposite the city, was pierced 
by two shots. In an instant the vessel was enveloped in 
a cloud of steam. Ellet's first care was for the crew — 
when they were safe in the boats he drew his pistol and 
fired into the cotton bales, for the purpose of setting the 
vessel on fire, so that she might not, like the Queen of the 
West, fall into the enemy's hands. He then stepped into 
the boat and rowed to the Lancaster. The Switzerland 
however escaped, and, beiDg repaired, acted afterwards as 
a despatch boat between Generals Grant and Banks. 

The exposure and excitement, together with the hot 
summer, at length proved too much for the constitution 
of young Ellet, and, obtaining leave of absence to recruit 
his shattered health, he retired to the residence of his 
uncle Dr. Ellet, at Bunker Hill, Illinois. He suffered 
severely from neuralgia in the face, for which he was in 
the habit of taking some opiate. 

On the night of the 16th of October, he comi^lained 
of feeling very unwell, and said to his aunt as he retired, 
that he thouofht he would take somethinor to relieve the 



HIS DEATH. 223 

pain in his face. In the morning he was found dead in 
his bed. He had probably taken an overdose of mor- 
phine and fallen into a sleep from which he never awoke. 

Thus at the early age of twenty, this youth of so much 
promise closed his labors for his country. Gentle and 
tender as a woman, he was nevertheless bold and fear- 
less as a lion. His countenance was full of poetic senti- 
ment, to which his large brilliant eyes and long black hair 
gave additional expression. 

Though the career of father and son was so brief, it 
was glorious, and their names will go do"\vn to posterity 
linked mth the navy, and embraced in the same halo of 
glory that encircles its brave commanders. 



CHAPTER X. 

REAR-ADMIRAL THEODORUS BAILEY. 

HIS NATIVITY. — EARLY IMPRESSIONS. — APPOINTED MIDSHIPMAN. — SENT TO THB 
COAST OF AFRICA. — CRUISE IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN, — PLACED ON THE 
WEST INDIA STATION. — MADE LIEUTENANT. — VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. 

SECOND VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. — STATIONED AT THE BROOKLYN 

NAVY YARD. — ASSUMES AN INDEPENDENT COMMAND. — SAILS IN THE LEX- 
INGTON FOR THE COAST OF MEXICO, — SHERMAN, HALLEOK, AND ORD, 
THEN LIEUTENANTS, ACCOMPANY HIM. — THEIR APPEARANCE. — AN INCI- 
DENT OFF CAPE HORN IN A GALE. — ARRIVAL IN CALIFORNIA. — MEETS 
COMMODORE STOCKTON AND FREMONT. — HIS SERVICES ON THE COAST 
DURING THE MEXICAN WAR. — A PRACTICAL JOKE — CORRESPONDENCE 
WITH A BRITISH CAPTAIN, ON BLOCKADE EIGHTS. — CRUISE IN THE PACIFIC. 
— COMPELS ISLAND CHIEFS TO DO JUSTICE. — AT PANAMA AFTER THE 
MASSACRE OF AMERICANS. — COMMANDS THE COLORADO IN COMMENCEMENT 
OF THE WAR. — BLOCKADES PENSACOLA. — PLACED SECOND IN COMMAND 
IN THE EXPEDITION AGAINST NEW ORLEANS. — UNABLE TO GET HIS SHIP 
OVER THE BAR. — DETERMINES TO LEAD IN SOMETHING. — ANECDOTE OF 
HIM. LEADS IN THE CAYUGA. THE COMBAT. DEMANDS THE SURREN- 
DER OF NEW ORLEANS. — INTERVIEWS WITH THE MAYOR, LOVELL AND 
SOULE. — SENT HOME WITH DESPATCHES, — PLACED IN COMMAND OF THE 

EASTERN GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON EXHIBITS GREAT ENERGY AND 

EFFICIENCY, — COMPLIMENTED BY THE DEPARTMENT, — HIS HOSPITALITY. — 
ASTONISHES A SECESH VESTRY, — SMITTEN DOWN BY THE YELLOW FEVER. — 
ATTEMPT TO BRIBE HIM, — RETURNS NORTH. 

Theodorus Bailey was born in Franklin Co,, New 
York State, in 1805, and received his education in Platts- 
burgh academy. Although a lad of but eight or nine 
years of age, when McDonough won his great victory 



VAEIOUS CRUISES. 225 

over the British fleet off this place, the excitement caused 
by the battle and the thousand and one stories connected 
with it must have made a lasting impression on his mind, 
and perhaps had more to do with his eventually entering 
the navy than he himself is aware of. The fame and 
deeds of such a hero were well calculated to excite the 
ambition of a boy, living, as it were, in the very focus of 
the excitement. Be that as it may, four or five years 
after, in 1818, he entered the naval service as midship- 
man, and for the next two years and more he was learn- 
ing his profession off the coast of Africa. He was then 
transferred to the Franklin, which had been ordered to 
the Pacific Ocean. He was absent on this cruise a little 
over three years, when he was transferred to the Shark, and 
sent to the West India station. On her and the Natchez 
he was on duty nearly two years more. 

In 1827, he was promoted to lieutenant and placed 
on board the Grampus, in which he served for six 
months. He was then ordered to ishe Vincennes, about 
to start on a long cruise in the Pacific Ocean, and thence 
to China, and so home by the Cape of Good Hope. He 
was absent three years and two months, and made his 
first voyage round the world. 

He was afterwards transferred to the Constellation, 
which was ordered on the same cruise. This time he 
was gone three years and eight months, and made his 
second voyage round the world. He also served on 
board receiving ships ; and from 1838 to 1841 was 
stationed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He afterwards 
cruised in the East Indies, and also saw much shore 
duty. 

In 1846, in the 21st year of his lieutenancy, Bailey 
assumed for the first time an independent connnand, 

15 



226 EEAE-ADMIEAL THEODORUS BALLET. 

"VVe were tlien at war witli Mexico, and he was ordered 
to tlie Lexington, wliicli had been fitted up for the re- 
ception of troops and military stores, to be conveyed from 
New York to a certain j)oint on the western coast of 
Mexico. 

On the morning of sailing, writes one who accom- 
panied him, the F company of artillery, a fine body of 
men, came on board at New York, under the command 
of Captain Tompkins. The first lieutenant was a tall, 
spare man, apparently about thirty years of age, with 
sandy hair and whiskers, and a reddish complexion. Grave 
in his demeanor, erect and soldierly in his bearing, he 
was especially noticeable for the faded and threadbare 
appearance of his uniform. That lieutenant is the pres- 
ent renowned Major-General Tecumseh Sherman. He 
was characterized at tliat time by entire devotion to his 
profession in all its details. His care for both the com- 
fort and discipline of his men was constant and un- 
varied. 

There was another lieutenant, short, rather "pony- 
built," yet lithe and active as a cat — his intellect bright 
and keen as his eyes — his movements indicative of nerve 
and spirit — his name was Ord — Edward O. C. Ord, now 
Brigadier General, United States Army. 

A heavy-built, middle-sized man also came on board, 
with cases containing chronometers, transits, and other 
instruments. His black velvet trimmings and flat but- 
tons, together with the single bar upon his shoulder- 
straps, indicated his rank as First Lieutenant of En- 
gineers — Henry Wager Halleck is Ms name. His high 
forehead was then smooth, his complexion dark and rud- 
dy, his black hair and ample beard were not yet frosted 
by time and thought. He was never idle at sea or in 



OFF CAPE HOEK. 227 

port, in fair weatlier or in storm, lie was ever at work 
with book, chart, and pen — for he always read with a 
])en in his hand. Whether in Brazil, Chili, Mexico, or 
California, he examined everything with a military eye, 
taking copious notes and drawings, especially of fortifica- 
tions and their approaches. 

Twenty-six days off Cape Horn, in the winter season, 
in a succession of gales from the southwest, is not a 
pleasant experience, even with the best of company. 

Here Captain Bailey exhibited conspicuously those 
high qualities which have ever secured for him in the 
Navy a reputation for capital seamanship, which implies 
every phase of judgment, coolness, perseverance, and 
pluck, with a ready command of resources under all cir- 
cumstances. Always cheerful and urbane, while full of 
humor, he never overstepped the line of personal and 
official dignity, and gentlemanly courtesy. 

The decks and lower rigging were encased in ice 
the Lexington was deeply laden with heavy guns, shot 
shell, &c., for the Army, and though she was what sea 
men call a comfortable ship, she was often very un 
steady. 

On one occasion, the whole wardroom mess was pre- 
cipitated to leeward, by a sudden lurch into Sherman's 
stateroom — together with the table-crockery, Purser Wil- 
son's ii'on money-chest and Doctor Abernethy's gold 
spectacles. All the gentlemen who composed that motley 
2nle have since borne the rank of Major General in the 
Army, or Commander in the Navy. The proprietor of 
the premises, now Lieutenant-General Sherman, greatly 
enjoyed, while he participated in the general discomfiture. 
Storms off Cape Horn, as elsewhere, finally blow them- 
selves out. Clear of " the Horn," the vessel soon reached 



228 EEAE- ADMIRAL THEODOEUS BAILEY. 

Valparaiso, where lay a part of tlie United States Pacific 
Squadron. The British and French Admirals were also 
there, each with a number of ships. Admiral Sir Thomas 
Seymour called on board the Lexington, and was, of 
course, received with military honors. He scrutinized 
closely the " material " of the United States Regular 
Army, which he saw in the guard of artilleiymen in line 
on the quarter-deck. He certainly found a very good 
specimen, Lieutenant Sherman commanding that guard. 

Here Bailey met Commodore Stockton, who, with 
his seamen and the mountaineers, under Fremont and his 
lieutenant. Kit. Carson, had secured possession of what 
was called Upper California, reinforced as they were, in 
good season, by General Kearney, who, soon after his 
arrival on the coast, after his long and perilous march 
across the continent, was received with his staff on 
board the Lexington, at San Pedro, and conveyed up 
the coast. Stoneman, since so distinguished as a cavalry 
General, was a lieutenant in General Kearney's com- 
mand. 

The Lexington was very actively employed on the 
western coast during the remainder of the Mexican Vv^ar. 

Positive instructions vrere given from Washington, 
that our forces in the Pacific should secure the possession 
of both Upper and Lower California. 

Upon Lieutenant Bailey devolved the duty of con- 
veying troops to the Peninsula of Lower California, and 
for a lono; time he remained at La Paz, coverino; the 
small force in occupancy of that point, under Lieutenant- 
Colonel Burton, United States Army, who so gallantly 
maintained his position when twice attacked by a supe- 
rior force. 

Bailey was fond of a joke, even a practical one, if 



A PRACTICAL JOKE. 229 

good. Many good ones are told of Mm, of wliicli we 
give tlie following, from our pleasant correspondent, as 
an illustration : 



The squadron was in the Bay of Monterey, and about to separate for 
the performance, by each ship, of its especial work. The general signal had 
been made from the flagship : " Get under weigh, and proceed as in- 
structed," 

The Lexington was by no means rapid, but though she never went over 
nine and a half knots, she could go — five — knots with almost anything 
especially with a moderate breeze and smooth water, close hauled. 

The wind was from the westward, and it was a dead beat out of the 
roadstead. The Lexington had an inshore berth, and was the last to get 
her anchors up ; but it was a five-knot breeze, and it soon became evident 
that she was gaining on the frigates. As she made a stretch from Point 
Piflos, it api^eared that she was weathering the Savannah frigate, which 
was standing in on the other tack. Lieutenant Bailey was delighted at the 
prospect of astonishing the squadron by the extraordinary sailing qualities 
of the old Lexington, always noted as being a dull sailer. 

It was rather a close thing, but with a fair show he could certainly 
weather the Savannah. He paced the quarter-deck in high glee, slapping 
his thigh at each turn with his right hand — as was his custom when pleased 
— and iDleasantly showing his handsome teeth, while his eyes sparkled with 
fan. Just as he was passing about a cable's length ahead, and to wind- 
ward of the Savannah, she put her helm down, and came up into the wind's 
eye, forging ahead. So around she must go, or fall foul. 

" 'Bout ship ! " 

" Ready ! Ready ! " 

" Helm a-lee ! " 

" Raise tacks and sheets ! " 

Slap comes the frigate right across our bow, and away goes the flying 
jib-boom. 

" Square the main-yard ! " 

" Box her aromid, Mr. Macomb ! " 

" Shift your helm for a stem-board, my man ! " 

Captain Mervine, on the Savannah's quarter-deck, shouted : " What do 
you mean, sir, by running into a first-class frigate ?" Captain BaUey {Sotto 
voce) : " Can't a first-class frigate keep out of the way ? " (Aloud) : " Aye, 
aye, sir ; all aback it is — all clear, sir ; no injury done, I hope — quite acci- 
dental, of course." {Sotto wee) : " I accept your explanation." {Aloud) : 
■' Grood-by, sir, I wish you a pleasant passage home." 

It frequently happens that Naval ofiicers are required promptly to decide 



230 EEAE-ADMIKAL THEODOEUS BAILEY. 

very nice points of international law, and it would be fortunate for the 
coimtry if every officer had as thorough a command of its principles and 
precedents, as is possessed by Admiral Bailey. 

The Lexington was for some time engaged in blockading the Mexican 
port of San Bias, during which time, two of Her Britannic Majesty's frigates 
anchored in the roadstead for the purpose of receiving on board a large 
amount of Mexican dollars to be conveyed to England. It was then, and 
is perhaps now, the custom for British shij^s of war to carry bullion or 
coin for a consideration, which consideration, being a per centage upon the 
value of the treasure, was divided between certain officers of the ships con- 
veying the same, and the Admiral commanding on the Station from whence 
the shii^ment is made. 

A correspondence took place, between Captain Bailey and the senior 
British captain on this occasion, upon the question as to whether a ship 
engaged in carrying " freight " for a consideration, could be looked upon as 
a shij) of war, and be treated as such by a blockading force, the commander 
of that force knowing her to be thus engaged. "Whether it was not proper 
to " warn off" such vessels from the blockaded port — endorsing notice 
upon their " registers ; " and, in default of their having registers like other 
mercantile ships, whether notice might not be endorsed upon the pajDers 
under which the ship might be sailing, whether a " sea-letter " pass, or a 
commission issued to the officer in command. 

The correspondence was quite lengthy, and was as humorous as it was 
able, dignified, and courteous. 

The vessels sailed without tahing any '■'■freight.'''' 

It was in 1848, says our correspondent, that peace with Mexico was con- 
cluded, and Henry A. Wise, now Ca^jtain, United States Navy, brought the 
first news direct from the City of Mexico. "We landed him at San Bias when 
he started on his famous ride — during the armistice — and on his return he 
went up the Coast in the Lexington, at which time we had a peep at the 
neatly prepared manuscripts of the amusing book in which he so graphic- 
ally relates his adventures upon that and other occasions. 

It was about this time, I think, that the storeship Southampton arrived 
from Upper California, and John L. "Worden, then passed ilidshipman, and 
Acting Master of that ship, called on board the Lexington and exhibited to 
his friends some nuggets of gold which had been found in cutting a mill- 
race on Captain Sutter's farm near Sacramento. 

Mr. "Worden was then rather stout-built, somewhat fleshy, of a light, 
cheerful disposition, and was considered a very good officer. I should 
hardly have recognized him in the "wiry, muscular, and scarred veteran 
that he is to-day, carrying upon his face the marks of the first engage- 
ment ever fought between iron-clads. 

Lieutenant Bailey now received advice of his long-delayed promotion, 
and returned to his home by the way of the Isthmus of Panama. 



ON THE JEEXICAN COAST. 231 

Dming tlie Mexican war, one of Bailey's duties was 
the blockading of San Bias — one of tlie two only ports 
of entry left open to Mexico. In doing this, lie warned 
all neutrals that the intermediate ports between here and 
Manzanilla were also blockaded, and the landing of any 
goods in them would subject such vessels and cargoes to 
capture and confiscation. This order brought a letter 
from the British Consul, Wm. Forbes, stationed at Tepic, 
who protested against the order, as an attempt at paper 
blockade, without sufficient force — which blockade had 
been regarded as illegal by American authorities, and 
also by Lord Stowell. Bailey replied that 

" A state of war gives a neutral no rights, which he 
did not previously possess in time of peace. 

" Because, if the belligerent attempts to relieve himself 
of the pressure of a blockade by opening new ports, he 
does so in consequence of the pressure of the arms of his 
enemy, and the neutral, by intervening to relieve that 
pressure, interferes with the war, to the disadvantage of 
the other belligerent — which interference the latter can- 
not tolerate." 

He landed four officers and thirty-seven men from 
the Lexington and a bark, capturing the upper and 
lower towns of San Bias — spiking guns in the aban- 
doned fort — and brought off two field pieces. He re- 
ceived a few days after a Mexican newspaper, stating 
that two North American vessels of war had entered the 
port of San Bias and landed sixteen hundred men, and 
that a division of five hundred cavalry, stationed in the 
neighborhood, had, in view of such overwhehning force, 
retreated to the interior. 

From 1853 to '55, Captain Bailey commanded the 
L". S. ship St. Mary, cruising in the Pacific, and visited 



232 EEAR-ADlVnEAL THEODORUS BAILEY. 

most of the prominent seaports, including many of the 
islands. 

At the request of the president of Nicaragua, he 
visited the capital to confer with him and the U. S. min- 
ister, respecting the threatened invasion of the renowned 
fillibuster, Walker. He was also at Honolulu while im- 
poi'tant negotiations were being had with Kamehameha 
III., which however ^yere suddenlj^ terminated by the 
death of that monarch. 

He afterwards visited the Marquesas, Society Islands, 
Navigator's and Fejee Islands, and at these last two places 
greatly promoted the interests of American citizens, by 
seeing that justice was administered — he holding frequent 
courts, before which many criminals were brought, and 
after due trial properly and summarily punished. 

At Apia, the high chief becoming refractory, and 
refusing to produce one of his subjects, accused of steal- 
ing from an American vessel, every preparation was made 
for an attack upon the town, and for his arrest, when his 
unconditional surrender and appearance on board the 
" St. Mary" prevented a collision. 

At the Fejee Islands, Capt. Bailey, finding that Cap- 
tain Boutwell, of the " John Adams," had, by his injudi- 
cious treatment of the natives, created some ill feeling, 
very maturely considered the matter, and gave such 
orders to Captain Boutwell as were calculated to promote 
a more thorough and impartial administration of justice. 

Capt. Bailey afterwards visited the principal ports of 
Chili, Peru, and Ecuador, holding everywhere the most 
agreeable relations ^vith the chief authorities of each 
country. 

He arrived at Panama after the frightful massacre of 
April 15, 1856, and here displayed, in a very signal 



A CURT LETTER. 233 

manner, great coolness and good judgment in allaying 
the excitement existing among his own countrymen. 

It would have been an easy matter for him to have 
bombarded Panama, thereby taking prompt satisfaction 
for the outrages committed. But forty-eight miles of rail- 
road from thence to Aspinwall, affording the only means 
of transit between California and the Atlantic states, 
w^ere entirely unprotected, and would have therefore been 
exposed to the attacks of an irritated and revengeful 
populace ; he accordingly very wisely refrained, and left 
to the general government the administration of the 
proper remedies. He remained, however, for nearly a 
year at Panama, vigilantly looking after and promoting 
American interests. 

His correspondence with the governor, Don F. de 
Fabrega, was short and spicy. He first asked an expla- 
nation of the outrages committed on American citizens 
and property. Two or three letters passed, but the gov- 
ernor, with customary Spanish duplicity and pomposity, 
evading the issue, Bailey closed the correspondence with 
the following direct and curt letter, which his "Excel- 
ency" could ponder on at his leisure : 

United States Sloop St. Maey's, ? 
Panama, April 25lh, 1836. \ 

His Excellency Don Francisco de Fabrega., 

Acting Oovernor, tfic, of Panama. 

SxR : I liave the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your replies to my 
communications of the 23d and 24th insts. Apart from the announcement 
of the restoration to the owners of the cannon and arras illegally taken 
from the steamer Taboga, I must confess that they afford me little satis- 
faction. I had expected, when asking for information as to the causes 
of the frightful occurrences of the 15th inst., that, apart from the im- 
mediate origin of the tumult, you would have deemed it due to your- 
self, as the Chief Magistrate of this community, to state why and where- 
fore you undertook the fearful responsibility of ordering your police to 



234 EEAE-ADMIEAL THEODOEUS BAILEY. 

fire upon my countrymen, women and cMldren, and to state what steps 
you liad taken to punish the guilty, and restore the plunder. Ten days 
have elapsed since the catastrophe, and I have yet to learn that a single 
criminal has been arrested, or that any portion of the immense amount of 
valuables taken from the passengers and railroad company, has been 
restored. I have yet to learn that your high " conscientious views of duty, 
and understanding well the great interests which are bound up in this line 
of universal transit " — extended any further than to order an indiscriminate 
massacre of the passengers over this transit. I have yet to learn, that when 
a riot or collision shall here take place between foreigners, on the one 
side, and natives on the other, that you recognize any higher obligation 
on your part than to protect and assist the latter, and to disarm, murder, 
maltreat, and plunder the former. 

Is it possible that your Excellency recognizes but one party to a riot ? 
that you shelter yourself under the philosophic assurance, that the fearful 
catastrophe of the 15th inst. was the result of " elemental tan heterogeneous 
como los que forman nuestra foblacion i la einegracion Califomiana ? " The 
deduction, I regret to state, affords me little assurance of the safety of the 
transit for the future, unless your Excellency shall devise some more speedy 
and efiicacious method for rendering these unfortunate " elements " less 
" heterogeneous " hereafter. The police who took part in this terrible 
tragedy now guard the lives and jjroperty of the transit passengers. The 
" Jendarmena " who, with the same philosophy as your Excellency, deemed 
it best, in the late emergency, to destroy the foreign " element," are the 
reliable means of protection which your Excellency vrill furnish us to any 
extent for the future, and it, no doubt, should be a source of gratifiction, 
that they have, since the 10th inst., permitted the passengers and treasure 
of the steamers " Uncle Sam " and " Golden Age," to make the transit with- 
out murdering the one, or j^lundering the other. I am, with the force under 
my command, but from eight to ten days removed from communication 
with my Government, and am, therefore, bound to submit to their judg- 
ment the manner in which the fearful accountability that you have incurred 
shall be investigated, and to their discretion the indemnity that shall be 
demanded for the past and security for the futm'e : meanwhile, I shall do 
all in my power to avert any danger that may occur to the transit pas- 
sengers, from whatever quarter it may come, and under every emergency. 
In directing my first communication to your Excellency, I had no desire to 
listen to apologies for certain parties or certain acts, but an earnest wish to 
know what you did towards punishing the parties concerned in this fright- 
ful atrocity. I wanted not sophistry but action ; the names of the criminals 
arrested — the officers dismissed — and some allusion to plunder restored. 
That I have not been thus gratified, I have no reason to doubt, arises from 
the fact that you deem the origin of the affair a sufficient justification for 
its frijihtful conclusion. 



AT iraw OELEANS. 235 

I shall here take my leave of your Excellency as a correspondent, and 
shall have the honor to submit your two communications to my Govern- 
ment, presuming that they will not be more satisfactory to them than to me. 
I am respectfully, sir. 

Your obedient servant, 
(Signed,) T. BAILEY, 

Commander U. 8. N. 

At the breaking out of tlie rebellion, lie was in the 
latter part of 1861 ordered to the steamer Colorado, 
blockading Pensacola, and took part in the subsequent 
bombardment of the fortifications. After a night recon- 
noissance he sent a boat expedition to cut out the priva- 
teer Judah. The vessel was destroyed, and the battery 
on shore spiked. The three lieutenants commanding the 
boats, Russel, Blake, and Sproston, received the highest 
commendation for their gallantry. 

He was subsequently seut to the passes of the Missis- 
sippi, second in command under Farragut in the contem- 
plated movement against New Orleans. 

Although the general plan of attack had been deter- 
mined on, Farragut called a council of war just before it 
occuiTed, in which Captain Bailey suggested that an 
attack in the daytime would draw on them the fire of 
the enemy the moment they came in sight — also, that 
the advance in double lines would exj^ose the vessels to 
get fouled. It will be seen that these ideas received the 
approval of the commander-in-chief. 

The way in which Bailey happened to lead his divi- 
sion of eight vessels in the little Cayuga is not generally 
known. The Colorado was a heavy vessel and one much 
better calculated to withstand the horrible fire of the bat- 
teries than this little gunboat. But it was found impos- 
sible to get her over the bar, and so he brought up his men, 
determined to lead the fleet in the passage of the bat- 



236 EEAE-ADMIRAL THEODORUS BAILEY. 

teries if lie did it in his launch. He was at the time 
suffering under a painful disease, and the surgeon re- 
ported that — 

His health would not permit him to take part in the fight. For this act 
of kindness, he was anything but grateful, and fumed and swore he was 
not sick, and would go. But the surgeon was firm in the performance of 
his duty, and asked for a " Medical Survey " upon him, which was ordered 
in due form. 

The " Board " assembled in his cabin, examined his case with great care, 
retired, talked it over, and made out a written report of his case, closing 
with the opinion that it would be very dangerous for him to take part in 
the coming fight, and finally recommended that he should remain quiet, 
and that severe medical treatment be applied as soon as jjracticable. 

The Board returned to the cabin, (where were assembled Admiral Far- 
ragut and other officers, awaiting the result of the examination,) and com- 
municated in due form the result of their consultation. 

All remained quiet, waiting to see what efiect it had upon " Old Bailey,'' 
expecting to see Mm fume and rage at being prevented from taking part in 

giving those " d d rebels a lesson which they would not soon forget." 

But instead of this, he quietly rose, and in the most dignified manner, said : 

" Admiral, I am very much obliged to the gentlemen, and am very grate- 
ful to them for their solicitude in regard to my health, for their attention to 

my case and their kind and considerate recommendation ; but, by , Vll 

lead youf fleet up the river, if I l/urst my 'boiler.'''' 

Farragut gave him a division and assigned him the 
sloop-of-war " Oneida," to carry his flag. The latter had not 
been long on board when certain matters occurred, which 
need not now be discussed, but which rendered it unde- 
sirable for Bailey to remain on that ship. Lieutenant- 
commanding Harrison having dined on the " Oneida " 
on that day, and seeing, in this hitch, a chance for 
himself, his gunboat having been asigned a place in the 
rear, he offered Bailey the " Cayuga" and urged him to 
lead up in her. He promptly accepted the offer, and be- 
fore sunset was aboard the little vessel, baoj and bao:orjio-e. 
Now this was an act of the purest patriotism and most 



LEADS THE FLEET. 237 

unselfish courage ; it was giving up, voluntarily, a new, 
strong, and fast ship (and in this instance speed v/as of the 
utmost moment) for a vessel of trifling force and speed, 
scarcely sufficient to stem the current of the Mississippi ; 
but it was done to prevent agitation, and to produce har- 
mony among the commanders of the fleet, on the eve of a 
great and uncertain conflict. 

The signal for attack was made at 2 a. m., on the 
morning of the 24th April, 18 G2. There was too much 
anxiety on board for sleep ; part of the night was spent in 
steaming up and down the division, in order that Bailey 
might satisfy himself that nothing was amiss — the river 
was continually lighted by fire-rafts, as they came down 
with the current, snapping and cracking with their in- 
tense heat — great fires were built at the barrier chains, 
making the scene and the hour one never to be forgotten. 
The signal lights had scarcely reached the peak of the 
Hartford before the " Cayuga" had her anchor atrip, and 
was heading up stream. The heavier ships were longer 
in securing their anchors. Much anxiety was felt as to 
the precise locality of the opening that had been made in 
the barrier ; he, however, steered fairly into it, and just 
then his vessel was discovered, and the forts opened. The 
"Cayuga" v/as now put upon her speed, not much at 
best, and pointed close under the guns of San Philip, so 
as to have the shot strike her rigging. Emerging from the 
dense smoke that filled the river between the forts, Bailey 
encountered a new, and a most unexpected enemy, noth- 
ing less than a flotilla of gunboats, having among 
them the "Louisiana" and "Manassas," with iron ar- 
mor. The Cayuga was quite unsupported at this time, 
and things wore an anxious look. It was now that Cap- 
tain Bailey exhibited that quiet courage and calm con- 



238 EEAE-ADlVirRAL THEODORUS BAILEY. 

fidence that told so finely on the crew. He could look in 
no direction without seeing an enemy close aboard. The 
" Gov. Moore," the best-fought ship of the enemy, was 
bearing down on his starboard bow, and to her Harrison 
gave most of his attention. At the same moment a gun- 
boat approached from nearly astern, with the evident 
intention of ramming. Captain Bailey called to Harrison 
to " send aft the boarders." The latter replied : " I have no 
men to spare just now, you must take care of that end of 
the vessel." With that, Bailey stepped on the arm-chest, 
and singing out " Surrender, you fool, or 111 blow you 
out of water!" he opened with his revolver. Almost 
immediately the reply came back, " Don't shoot ! we 
surrender." " Then stick your d — d nose in the mud until 
I take possession." The vessel sheered off, ran ashore, 
and was soon in flames. About the same time a fearful 
discharge of grape was delivered from the large dahl- 
gren into the " Gov. Moore," raking her from stem to 
stern, killing many of her men, and causing her to sheer 
off. Two other vessels of the rebel flotilla were forced 
to surrender and run on shore before Bailey knew that 
any other of our ships had succeeded in coming through 
the fire of the forts — then came the "Varuna" into 
action, followed in quick succession by the fleet. This 
was the last effort of the rebels. The victory was com- 
plete. " You can fancy the scene, now," says our 
correspondent, " as the bright day broke over the 
river, disclosing fourteen vessels of our fleet above 
the forts, gaily bedecked Avith the "old flags," while 
eleven burning hulls were all that remained of the 
rebel flotilla." As soon as objects on shore were visible 
Camp Lovell was discovered, having the Chalmette regi- 
ment in tents, commanded by Col. Szymanski. Anchoring 



AT NEW ORLEAIfS. 239 

in front of the camp, and ordering the Colonel on board, 
Captain Bailey received the surrender of the regiment, 
He could not but smile at the idea of a regiment on shore 
captured by a gunboat. He had now no specific orders ; 
but knowing New Orleans to be the objective point, he 
determined, if possible, to be first before the city. Steam- 
ing at full speed, he found himself next day, suddenly, in 
a tremendous cross fire ; this came from the Chalmette 
batteries, situated on either bank of the river. The 
Cayuga endured this fire until Farragut could come up 
and divert it to his own ship. The little gunboat suffered 
severely here, but her bow was never turned doivn stream. 

In speaking of the passage of these latter forts, Farra- 
gut saj^s, " Captain Bailey was still far in advance, not 
having noticed my signal for close order." We rather sus- 
pect the gallant captain did not look in the direction where 
he could see it. His eyes were turned up stream towards 
New Orleans. N. B. Harrison, the lieutenant command- 
ing the Cayuga, than whom a cooler, braver, and more 
gallant officer never trod the deck of a battle-ship, reported 
that his vessel was struck forty-tivo times, and that both 
her masts were so cut up as to be unfit for farther service. 
Strange as it may appear, only six of his crew were wounded. 

The river was now clear to New Orleans ; and at one 
o'clock, on the 25th, the fleet came to anchor in front of 
the city. The rain was coming down in torrents ; but the 
crowd on shore was dense and turbulent, and blind with 
futile passion. Directly, a boat was seen to put off from 
the flagship, and swept towards the shore, impelled by the 
strong arms of well-dressed sailors. In the stern sat 
Captain Bailey, with his lieutenant, Perkins, by his side, 
and Acting-Master Morton, in charge of the boat. He 
was on his way to demand the surrender of the city. As 



240 EEAR-ADMIEAL THEODORUS BAILEY. 

he approached the levee, the drenched and waiting 
crowd grew more excited, and deafening cheers were sent 
up for Jeff. Da\ds, and groans uttered for Lincoln and the 
fleet. Now and then a sudden eddy would be seen in 
some portion of the black, dark mass, as a man was col- 
lared or shoved about, who dared to express a Union 
feeling. Bailey saw at a glance that it was not a pleasant 
reception that awaited hhn ; but he stepped calmly and 
firmly ashore, and said he wished to see the mayor of the 
city. A few came forward, and offered to conduct him. 
As the little handful moved off, the crowd surged after 
them, yelling and shouting like demons. A single word, 
and Bailey and his lieutenant would become the victims 
of its fiiry ; but they showed no alarm, and reached 
the City Hall in safety, when the passions of the crowd 
broke forth. At one time it seemed that they would 
be set upon by the most infuriated ; but some well- 
dressed citizens, who were aware of the wholesale 
destruction of the city that would follow such an act, 
interfered. 

Bailey, on being presented to the mayor, and ex- 
changing salutations, said : "I have been sent by Cap- 
tain Farragut, commanding the United States fleet, to 
demand the surrender of the city, and the elevation of 
the flag of the United States over the Custom-House, 
Mint, Post-Office, and City Hall." 

The mayor, Munroe, Avas in company with Pierre 
Soule, and was evidently prompted by him as to questions 
and replies. Among other things, the mayor wished to 
know what credentials Bailey had from Flag-Officer 
Farragut. He replied that he was second in command, 
had led the fleet by the forts, had forced the surrender of 
three gunboats, and captured the Chalmette regiment; 



mTEEVIEW WITH THE MAYOR. 241 

and as such needed no other credentials — which they 
appeared to consider sufficient. 

Munroe replied that he was not a military man, and 
had no authority to surrender the place, but that he would 
send for General Lovell, the military commander, who 
was out of the city. While the messenger was gone, 
Bailey engaged in free conversation Avith those in the 
mayor s office, interrupted now and then by the yells of 
the crowd surging to and fro in the pouring rain with- 
out. Much property had been destroyed in the city 
after the news of the passage of the forts was received, 
and Bailey expressed his regret that it had taken place. 
The Mayor rudely replied that the property was their 
own, and its destruction concerned nobody but them- 
selves. Bailey good-humoredly said that such a course 
looked to him very much like a man biting off his nose 
to spite his face. 

The Mayor did not relish the joke, and grew more 
disagreeable. 

Soon cheers from without heralded the arrival of 
Lovell, and the next moment he entered the room, 
and announced his name and rank. He then shook 
hands with Bailey, who renewed the demand he had 
a short time before made to the Mayor. To this Lovell 
replied, that he would not surrender the city ; that he in- 
tended to fight on land as long as he could ; and if they 
wished to shell the city, filled with women and children, 
they might do it. Bailey courteously replied, that noth- 
ing was farther from Captain Farragut's intentions than 
shelling the city ; that he regretted the destruction of 
property that had already occurred. To which Lovell an- 
swered, with much unnecessary hauteur, that it was done 
by his own orders. Lovell leaving the affairs of the city 

16 



242 EEAE-AD:inEAL THEODOEUS BAILEY. 

in the hands of the civil authorities, Bailey determined 
to return, and report the situation of matters to Far- 
ragut. But as he was about to leave, he turned to Gen- 
eral Lovell, and said that he had visited many unciv- 
ilized places, such as the South Sea and Fejee Islands — 
and found even among the savages a decent respect for 
a herald and flag of truce, which are regarded by all civ- 
ilized nations as sacred, but that he had been insulted 
every step of the way from his boat by an unwashed 
mob. He therefore demanded a safe conduct to his 
boat. A carriage was then dra^vn up at a rear door of 
the City Hall, and he was conducted to it with his aid. 
Lieutenant Perkins, by two officers, and driven through 
certain streets entirely depopulated, their inhabitants 
having thronged to what they supposed would be the scene 
of his assassination on the route by which he had come. 

He arrived without molestation at the landing, where 
a great crowd was assembled — ^but the officers, drawing 
their swords, made way for him, when he shook hands 
with them and departed. 

Bailey was now sent home with despatches to the 
Government, and on arriving at Fortress Monroe for- 
warded the following telegraph to the Secretary of 
War : " I have the honor to announce that, in the provi- 
dence of God, which smiles upon a just cause, the squad- 
ron under Flag Officer Farragut has been vouchsafed a 
glorious victory and triumph in the capture of New Or- 
leans, Forts Jackson, St. Philij), Lexington, and Pike, 
the batteries above and below New Orleans, as well as 
the total destruction of the enemy's gunboats, steam- 
rams, floating batteries (iron-clad), flre- rafts, obstniction 
booms, and chains. The enemy with their own hands 
destroyed from eight to ten millions of cotton and ship- 



BLOCKADING THE FLOEIDA COAST. 243 

ping. Our loss is thirty-six killed, and one hundred and 
twenty-three wounded. The enemy lost from one thou- 
sand to fifteen hundred, besides several hundred prisoners. 
The way is clear, and the rebel defenses destroyed from 
the Gulf to Baton Kouge, and probably to Memphis. 
Our flag waves triumphantly over them all. I am bearer 
of despatches, Theodorus Bailey." 

The important part that Captain Bailey took in the 
capture of New Orleans clearly entitled him to receive 
from the Navy Department some signal recognition of 
its sense of the value of his services, and, in the fall of 
1862, Acting Rear- Admiral Lardner, commanding Eastern 
Gulf Blockading Squadron, suffering greatly from the 
weakening effects of an attack of yellow fever, having 
applied to the Navy Department to be relieved from duty 
on that station, and ordered North,. Commodore Bailey 
was at once directed to assume the command, and in 
November, 1862, proceeded to Key West. 

The limits of the command comprised a stretch of 
sea-coast extending nearly a thousand miles, embrac- 
ing the entire Peninsula of Florida, fi'om Mosquito Inlet 
on the eastern coast, to St. Andi'ew's Bay on the western. 
The headquarters of the squadron were at the important 
island of Key West — the key of the Gulf of Mexico. 
Unfortunately, this squadron was the only one, excej)t 
the West India squadi^on, that did not contain within 
its limits some stronghold to be captured. The North 
Atlantic squadron had its Fort Fisher — the South At- 
lantic its Sumter — the West Gulf squadron its Fort 
Morgan — ^but the East Gulf squadron afforded no suf 
ficient scope for the restless courage that was so distin- 
guishing a trait in the character of its commander-in-chief. 

Bailey's orders were to blockade the Florida coast, and 



244 EEAE-ADMIRAL THEODORUS BAILEY. 

as there was no more active work at hand, lie set himself 
to do this thoroughly. The means at his disposal he 
found very inadequate to the work, for the squadron had 
been greatly thinned out by the yellow fever, and a num- 
ber of the vessels infected with the contagion had been 
ordered North by Admiral Lardner. The Navy Depart- 
ment found it impossible at that time to supply their 
places with others, the pressure upon them for vessels 
being so great for other squadrons, and the material 
from w^hich to supply this demand, so limited. 

In this emergency, finding it useless to apply to the 
Government for aid. Admiral Bailey set zealously to 
work to make additions to his force from such materials 
as he could command. As the Department could not 
supply him with vessels, he proposed to supply himself 
The blockade-running from the Florida coast was, at 
this time, carried on mostly by swift-sailing schooners 
that slipped quietly out of the creeks and rivers, under 
cover of the night, and made for the coast of Cuba. 
Admiral Bailey determined to make this class of vessels 
useful, and accordingly, as soon as he caught a particu- 
larly fast one, instead of allowing it to be sold at auction, 
and bought in by the blockade-runners, to be again j^ut 
upon the contraband line, he took it for the use of the 
Government at an appraisement, and having sent car- 
bines, cutlasses, a howitzer, and a sufficient number of 
" blue-jackets " aboard, the American flag was run up at 
the j)eak, and the little craft sailed off to astonish her 
old allies by appearing in her entirely new and unex- 
pected character of a United States vessel. These 
tenders, for they were all attached to one or another of 
the larger vessels of the squadron, soon became a distin- 
guishing feature of the Eastern Gulf squadron, and a 



THOROUGH DISCIPLINE. 245 

terror to all tlie contrabandists along the coast. It was 
not long before a complete cordon of these vigilant little 
sentinels was formed, stretchins: alono: the entire coast, 
the cruising-ground of one dove-tailing on to that of the 
next, and they became the heroes of many bold adven- 
tures. Their light draft of water enabled them to run 
into the creeks and inlets that mark the Florida coast, 
and they would frequently pounce down upon a nest of 
blockade-i-unners, — loading their vessel with cotton up 
some quiet river, and almost before the latter could recover 
from their astonishment at the apparition of the unwel- 
come " Yankees," their vessel would be towed out to sea 
and under sail for Key West, with a prize crew on board. 
Admiral Bailey, by his prompt recognition of every 
act of gallantry, and of every important service on the 
part of his officers and men, soon imparted a portion of 
his own energy to his squadron. There was no more 
" loafing " on the blockade. It was understood that the 
vessels were stationed to make captures, and not for fish- 
ing purposes, and if a vessel set to guard a particular pas- 
sage allowed the blockade-runners to slij) in and out, 
the commanding officer was held responsible at head- 
quarters for his negligence ; and if, on the other hand, he 
showed constant vigilance and attention to duty, his good 
conduct did not fail to receive notice, and to be reported 
with commendation to the Department at Washington. 
The vessels of the fleet were likewise, from time to time, 
personally visited by the commander-in-chief, and his 
able and vigilant Chief-of-Staff, Commander Temple, and 
thoroughly inspected. Their efficiency in drill at the 
great guns and in small arms, and at fire quarters was 
carefully noted, and every commanding-officer felt that 
the exact status of himself and his ship's company was 



246 EEAE-AD]inEAL THEODOEUS BAILEY. 

known and kept in mind at headquarters. In fact, it 
is not too mucli to say that tlie discipline of this squad- 
ron was so perfect that the Department highly com- 
plimented Bailey, saying : " It was so well governed 
that it gave them no trouble — it took care of itself." It 
certainly did its work thoroughly. The coast of Florida 
was hermetically sealed, and vessels were spared to 
cruise at large in the Gulf, and intercept the blockade- 
runners that plied regularly between Mobile and Havana. 

Few persons are aware what a very essential part the 
blockading vessels performed in crippling and dispiriting 
the enemy. Their work was noiseless, and attracted but 
little of the public attention ; but the pressure brought 
to bear upon the South was tremendous, and grew 
every month more intolerable. It was not so much that 
the rebels were put to the greatest individual discomfort 
and inconvenience — that indeed was a result, but not the 
aim or intention of the blockade. The principal pressure 
was felt where it was intended that it should be — in then- 
military movements — in their armies. They could not 
purchase military supplies abroad, and they had no ade- 
quate means of manufactming them at home. Their 
troops were therefore ill-equippecl, poorly shod, poorly 
clothed, and destitute of many of the articles that are 
necessary to the efficiency of armies in the field. 

In 1863, the limits of the East Gulf Squadi'on were 
increased by the addition to its jurisdiction of an im- 
portant part of what had been the cruising-ground of the 
West India, or Flying Squadron ; to wit : the Bahama 
Banks. The difficulty of communicating by boats with 
the Admiral, where vessels were lying often at a distance 
of two miles from the flagship, became so great, that in 
the spring of this year headquarters were moved ashore, 



MAKES HIMSELF BISHOP. 247 

and tlie flagsliip was sent to cruise in the Gulf. By 
this change, the commander-in-chief became rapidly acces- 
sible to all those under his command. Whether it was 
that twenty-odd years on " blue water " had had its 
effect upon him, or whether Nature in the beginning 
had implanted in him a kindly heart, certain it was that 
the Admii-al possessed all of those qualities of a large- 
hearted and open-handed nature that belong tradition- 
ally to the sailor. He was the very embodiment of 
the poetic idea of a son of Neptune, and every human 
being who crossed the threshold of the great rooms at 
which headquarters were now located, was sure to find 
there a hearty, cheerful welcome — except one class, the 
enemies of his country. When any of the members of 
his staff heard from their adjoining ajjartments an unu- 
sual noise and declamation, ending with calls for " Or- 
derly," they were pretty certain that one of this class 
was about being marched out from the indignant pres- 
ence of Bailey, at the double-quick, and it was usually 
some time before the waters fairly subsided after one of 
these storms. The devotion of a sailor to the flag he 
has served for nearly half a century, has in it an ardor 
that landsmen fail to appreciate. An amusing instance 
of the Admiral's dislike of the sympathizers with seces- 
sion, occurred shortly after the headquarters were moved 
on shore. It happened that the princij^al church at Key 
West was the Episcopal, and that, though the rector 
was loyal, a majority of the vestry were secessionists, who 
reelected themselves to office year after year. This 
state of things coming to the Admiral's knowledge 
at the time that the annual election for vestrymen oc- 
curred, he resolved to " purge the temple," and, sum- 
moning his officers (it being a free church, all who at- 



248 EEAE-ADiGRAL THEODOEUS BAILEY. 

tended tliere were entitled to vote), lie marclied up to 
tlie annual meeting, on tlie first Monday after Easter, 
to the great consternation of tlie close corporation, who 
liad assembled to vote each other in. As a matter of 
course, a heavy " Union " vote was cast, and for that 
year, at least, the church was officered by loyal men. 
from rector to sexton. The Admiral used laughingly, 
after this incident, to proclaim himself ex-officio " Bishop 
of that Diocese." 

Though the Admiral and his staff were always on 
duty, and business was transacted at any hour, from 
eight in the morning till midnight, there was no lack 
of mirth at headquarters, and the Admiral's hospitality 
became so well known through the service, that along 
the whole coast, from the Potomac to the Rio Grande, 
there was no naval station visited with more pleasure by 
officers than that at Key West. As that post lay in 
the direct track of all vessels bound to the West Gulf 
Squadron, or from that squadron North, and as the 
vessels of the West India Squadron were accustomed to 
put into Key West for provisions and their mails, it 
often happened that from twelve to fifteen men-of-war 
were in harbor at the same time. On these occasions, 
the table of the Admiral's mess was stretched to its 
largest capacity, and the headquarters became a scene of 
great animation. In the summer of 1864, however, all 
this was changed, for the port was again visited by that 
scourge, the yellow fever. The epidemic commenced in 
June, and extended from vessel to vessel, and what had 
shortly before been a scene of bustle, activity, and mirth, 
became now one of desolation and mourning. A few 
hours was sufficient to huny the victims from a state of 
apparently perfect healch to the grave. The vessels were 



A HEAVY BEIBE. 249 

sent North as fast as tlie infection appeared upon tliem, 
and before long the dreaded port of Key West was 
itself as completely blockaded by the invisible but fearful 
forces of Yellow Jack, as was any port along the coast 
by the most vigilant of our cruisers. For weeks there 
was scarcely any communication with the outer world. 
No vessel was bold enough to venture in, and there 
were none to venture out. In the mean time, those on the 
island sickened, and very many died. The Admiral, after 
a severe illness, rallied, and, thanks to a fine constitution, 
recovered. After the abatement of the fever, the De- 
partment thought it due to his long service in a sickly 
climate, to transfer him to a healthier station, and ac- 
cordingly, in the fall of the same year, he was ordered to 
the command of the Navy Yard at Portsmouth, New 
Hampshire. 

There is one anecdote told of the Admiral, while en- 
gaged in the blockade, which not only illustrates his 
character, always noble and incorruptible, but explains 
satisfactorily how so many of our officers, in the South 
and Southwest, got rich during the war. One day the 
Admiral received a letter from a merchant in Havana, 
stating that he desired a personal interview with him, as 
he had an important communication to make. Not long- 
after, the former, having occasion to send a vessel to 
Havana, directed the commanding officer to call on the 
merchant and learn what the important communication 
was. It turned out to be a proposal to him that he 
should so arrange his squadron as to allow a vessel to 
be run into port with contraband goods, the Admiral 
to receive for so doing forty thousand dollars a trip 
for six trips, and then have vessel, cargo, and all. The 
money was to be paid in gold, which then being at $2.50 



250 EEAE- ADMIRAL THEODORUS BAILEY. 

would have netted the Admiral the nice little sum of 
about a million of dollars. He could have carried out 
this nefarious scheme without being detected, with the 
utmost ease. To most men such a sum of money would 
seem a large bribe, but to the Admiral a five-dollar bill 
vrould have been just as great a temptation. It is need- 
less to say that he took no notice of the proposal, but it 
would have fared hard with the traitorous merchant, if 
he had fallen into his clutches. That many officers on 
land were not superior to much smaller bribes, the military 
records furnish, alas ! too much evidence. 

The best proof of the efficiency of the blockade during 
the period that the Eastern Gulf squadron was under 
Admiral Bailey's command, is found in the number of 
prizes captured. With a fleet of some thirty vessels, of 
which not more tha,n six were steamers in any way fit 
for cruising, he captured in the course of a little more 
than a year and a half, more than a hundred and fifty 
blockade runners of all rates and sizes, from sloops to 
large and heavily loaded Mississippi steamers. In pro- 
portion to the time and the number of vessels employed, 
this is a larger capture list than is exhibited by any other 
squadron. 

Admiral Bailey remains at present the commandant 
of the Portsmouth station, although by a law of Con- 
gress he is, from his age and length of service, placed on 
the retired list. 

The character of Admiral Bailey is clearly developed 
in the foregoing sketch. To see him dispensing hospital- 
ity at his table, and keeping his guests often in a roar of 
laughter, one would hardly know him for the same man 
when leading his line into battle. On the dec^k of his 
ship, amid the raining balls of the enemy, he is altogether 



HIS CHAEACTEE. 251 

another being. Stem and inflexible, his orders ring 
sharply out, and all the lineaments of his kindly coun- 
tenance reveal the great commander and the fearless man. 
The confusion and carnage of battle seem to quicken his 
perceptions, and he is never so much at home as when, 
amid the thunder of his own broadsides, he presses where 
the boldest hold their breath. Of great energy, untiring 
perseverance, quick perceptions — fearless in action, and 
wise in counsel, he has won a place in the foremost 
rank of those naval heroes who are at once the pride and 
glorj^ of the land. 



CHAPTER XI. 

REAR-ADMIRAL CHARLES HENRY DAVIS. 

SCIENTIFIC ATTAINMENTS IN THE NAVAL PROFESSION. — BIETH AND PAEENT- 
AGE OF DAVIS. — HIS EARLY EDUCATION. — ENTERS THE NAVY. — THREE 
years' CRUISE IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN. — VISITS ITS REMOTE ISLANDS. — 
ON HIS RETURN RECEIVES HIS WARRANT AND CRUISES IN THE WEST INDIES. 
— IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. — MADE LIEUTENANT. — ENTERS ON THE STUDY 
OF THE MODERN LANGUAGES. — FOURTH CRUISE IN THE PACIFIC. — SAILS 
FOR ST. PETERSBURG. — APPOINTED TO THE COAST SURVEY. — HIS SURVEYS, 
INVESTIGATIONS, ETC. — HIS REPORTS AND MEMOIRS. — HIS MARRIAGE. — 
SUPERINTENDS THE PREPARATION OF THE AMERICAN EPHEMERI3 AND 
NAUTICAL ALMANAC. — HIS TRANSLATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS. — ONCE MORE 
AFLOAT. — RECEIVES THE CAPITULATION OF THE FILIBUSTER WALKER. — 
SHORE DUTY. — BREAKING OUT OF THE REBELLION. — DAVIs' SERVICES AT 
WASHINGTON. — PLACED ON A COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE THE SUBJECT 
OF ARMORED SHIPS. — DUPONT's CHIEF OP STAFF IN THE PORT ROYAL 
EXPEDITION. — HIS GREAT SERVICES. — COMMANDS THE STONE FLEET SUNK 
IN CHARLESTON HARBOR. — SENT UP THE LITTLE TYBEE. — ENGAGES TAT- 
NALl's FLEET. RELIEVES FOOTE IN COMMAND OF THE MISSISSIPPI FLOTIL- 
LA. — COMBAT OF FORT PILLOW. — DESTROYS THE REBEL FLEET OFF MEMPHIS. 
— BATTERY OF ST. CHARLES CAPTURED. — DAVIs' DESPATCH. — BEFORE VICKS- 

BURG. AFTER SERVICES. — RECALLED TO WASHINGTON. — RECEIVES THE 

THANKS OF CONGRESS, AND MADE REAR-ADMIRAL. — CHIEF OF BUREAU OF 
NAVIGATION. SUPERINTENDENT OF NATIONAL OBSERVATORY, ETC. 

The naval profession is not favorable to strict scien- 
tific pursuits. Its duties are active and practical, requir- 
ing the application rather than the investigation of the 
principles of science. It is rare that we find the practical 
accomplished sailor and the abstruse scientific man com- 



HIS ANCESTEY. 253 

billed. It is only now and then, in any department ot 
life, tliat tlie deep tliinker and tlie eiFective worker are 
united in one person. Admiral Davis, however, is one 
of these men, — combining rare scientific ability with 
great practical skill and power. But scientific attain- 
ments, largeness of view, and thorough knowledge of all 
the branches and details of the naval profession, being 
rarer than those qualifications which will make a good 
commander afloat, they are needed at the centre of influ- 
ence to guide, direct, and j^erfect. Hence the man possess- 
ing them often performs a greater service to his country 
than if he won a battle. Yet, that service is wholly un- 
appreciated by the popular mind. So far as mere fame 
is concerned, his rare endowments are a misfortune to 
him. 

Charles Henry Davis was born in Boston, Massa- 
chusetts, January 10, 1807. His father was the late 
Hon. Daniel Davis, for thirty-two years Solicitor-General 
of that State, and the son of the Hon. Daniel Davis of 
Barnstable, who was a representative of his town in the 
Provincial Congress of Massachusetts, during the Rev- 
olutionary War, and subsequently Judge of Probate, 
and Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas of his 
county. 

His mother was the daughter of Constant Freeman, 
Esq., a merchant of Boston ; and among her brothers 
were Colonel Constant Freeman, of the Revolutionaiy 
AiTuy, and Rev. James Freeman, of King's Chapel, Bos- 
ton. Thus on both sides he came of good Revolutionary 
stock. He received his early education at the Boston 
Latin School, and entered Harvard College in 1821; but 
remained there less than two years. 

In 1841, he received from the University the degrees 



254 EEAE-ADiHRAL CHAELES HEITEY DAVIS. 

of Bachelor and Master of Arts, and Ms name may be 
found in tlie list of Ms class of 1825, in the triennial 
catalogue. 

After leaving college, he was appointed an acting 
midshipman in the United States Navy, by President 
Monroe, on the 12th August, 1823, being then sixteen 
years of age, and received in the following October 
orders to join the frigate " United States," in which vessel 
he sailed on a cruise of three years and a half in the 
Pacific Ocean, in the squadi'on of Commodore Hull, 
During the cruise, he became one of the officers of the 
schooner Dolphin, commanded by the late Captain John 
C. Percival, on the somewhat famous expedition into the 
remote, and, at that time, little known seas of the West- 
ern Pacific, in pursuit of the mutineers of the whaleship 
Globe. The Marquesas and adjoining group of islands 
were then almost terra incognita to the civilized world, 
and revealed an entirely new phase of life to the young 
midshipman. 

On his return Acting Midshipman Davis received his 
warrant, and was ordered to the Erie, Commodore 
Turner, to do duty in the West Indies. After a year's 
service in these waters, he again returned and passed his 
examination for lieutenant ; and, on this occasion, re- 
ceived a veiy handsome letter of approbation from his 
first commanding officer. Commodore Hull. 

In 1829, a few months later, Mr. Davis joined the 
Ontario, sloop of war. Captain Thomas H. Stevens, as 
Master, and sailed for the Mediterranean in the squad- 
ron of Commodore Biddle. While on board the Ontario, 
he entered upon the study of the modern languages, 
especially French and Spanish ; and began a life-long 
friendship with his shipmate, the late Eear-Admira] 



VAEIOUS CEUISES. 255 

(then Lieutenant) S. F. Dupont. His commission as 
lieutenant was received during tliis his third cruise, and 
dated March, 1831. His fourth cruise was again in the 
Pacific, in the Vincennes, the flagshi]) of Commodore 
Wadsworth. It was on this vessel that Lieutenant 
Davis began those mathematical studies which have 
since given him such distinction in the scientific world. 
On this cruise he was employed as interpreter between 
Commodore Wadsworth and the authorities of the State 
of Ecuador, which had sought the aid of the former in 
settling the embarrassments of a civil war then raging. 
He returned to the United States in command of the 
whaleship Veimont, her captain having been killed by a 
mutineer. In October, 1836, two years and a half after 
his return from the Pacific, he was ordered to report for 
duty to the late Commodore Nicholson, and in the fol- 
lowing year sailed in the razee frigate Independence, 
the Commodore's flagship, for St. Petersburg, carry, 
ing Mr. Dallas, the American Minister to the Imperial 
Coui't of Russia. While the Independence was in the 
harbor of Cronstadt, she was visited by the Czar, Nich- 
olas I., who sought to improve his own navy by study- 
ing the finest specimens of foreign naval architecture. 
The Independence, after leaving St. Petersburg, pro- 
ceeded to her own station, the Brazilian, where she cruised 
for two years. 

On his return to the United States from this 
fifth cruise, Lieutenant Davis, at the age of thirty- 
three, had completed seventeen years of service in 
the Navy, and during more than twelve years of that 
time, had been on active duty at sea. His command- 
ing officer on every cruise had been a hero of the war of 
18] 2. The names of Hull, Turner, Stevens, Piddle, Wads- 



256 HEAE-ADMIEAL CHAELES HENTIY DAVIS. 

worth, and ISTicliolson, are inseparably associated with 
the exploits of our early naval history ; and, as before 
remarked of other commanders, these associations must 
have had a strong effect upon the character and patri- 
otism of Davis. 

After an interval of repose, Lieutenant Davis, in 
1842, was appointed to the United States Coast Survey, 
then under the superintendence of Mi\ Hassler ; and he 
continued on that work under his successor, Mr. Bache, 
until 1849. The principal investigations which he con- 
ducted for seven years in this service, in the command 
of a Coast Survey vessel, belong more especially to the 
department of science, and can only be briefly enumer- 
ated as follows : 1. Ascertaining the direction, &c., of 
currents in New York Bay and vicinity, and in the en- 
trances of New York harbor. 2. Hydrographic and 
physical examination of the Gulf Stream. 3. Surveys 
and soundings off Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket 
Islands, resulting in the discovery of shoals and banks in 
the direct line of navigation between New York and 
Europe, of which mariners had been hitherto entirely 
ignorant, numerous losses having thereby occurred ; and 
in the discovery of the rock on Cash's Ledge, which had 
been long sought for by that eminent British surveyor 
and hydrographer, Admiral Owen. 4. A memoir commu- 
nicated to the American Academy in 1848 on the "Geo- 
logical Action of the Tidal and other Currents of the 
Ocean '' — the result of most careful observations of the 
formation of shoals, especially on the Nantucket coast ; 
and a second memoir, on the " Law of Deposit of the 
Flood-tide," published in the Smithsonian Contributions 
in 1851. During his services on the Coast Survey, Lieu- 
tenant Davis commenced those investigations into the 



SCIENTIFIO LABORS. 257 

laws of enmneerins: in tidal harbors, tlie fruits of wliicli 
are shown in the numei'ous reports upon the great har- 
bors of the United States, written by himself and his 
associates, General Totten, Chief Engineer United States 
Army, and Professor Bache, Superintendent United States 
Coast Survey, either as members of an independent com- 
mission, or, as in the case of New York harbor, as ad- 
visory council to the State commission. The harbors 
of Portland, Boston, and New York, have been particu- 
larly benefited by these investigations and discussions. 

In 1842, Lieutenant Davis was married to the young- 
est daughter of the late Hon. Elijah H. Mills, of Nor- 
thampton, United States Senator from Massachusetts. He 
has three sons and three daughters ; the second son, bear- 
ing his father's name, is a midshipman in the United 
States Navy, and now serving (May, 1866), on the 
United States Steamer Colorado. 

In July, 1849, Lieutenant Davis was relieved from 
duty on the Coast Survey, receiving on his departure a 
strong official expression of appreciation and regret from 
the Superintendent, Prof. Bache, and was immediately 
assigned to the duty of superintending the preparation 
of the American ephemeris and nautical almanac. Up 
to this time, the United States naval and merchant 
marine had been obliged to use the nautical almanac 
of the English, and this necessity had proved especially 
annoying in the labors of the United States Coast Sur- 
vey ; so that the establishment of a national ephemeris 
had long been urged, and by none more earnestly than 
by Lieutenant Davis. Accordingly, in the last session 
of the Thirtieth Congress (1849-50), a law was passed 
authorizing such an establishment ; and in accordance 
with its provisions Lieutenant Davis was appointed by 
17 



258 KEAK-ADiHRAL CHARLES HENRY DAVIS. 

the Secretaiy of the Navy, Hon. William B. Preston, 
to superintend it. In this undertaking were encountered 
some formidable obstacles to success ; but all were at 
length overcome by energy and perseverance ; and the 
Nautical Almanac, once established, not only fulfilled 
all the purposes contemplated in its creation, but fostered 
and stimulated the mathematical and astronomical abili- 
ty of the country in an eminent degree. The names of 
Pierce, Chauvenet, Walker, Winlock, Runkle, Bartlett, 
Wright, and Newcomb, are necessarily associated with 
the success of an undertaking which their genius and 
labors so materially assisted to perfect. It is sufficient 
to say that this work, which, from its nature, must be 
regarded as a fair exponent of the science of the country, 
was everywhere abroad received with unqualified ap- 
proval. Lieutenant Davis, having triumphantly organ- 
ized the Ephemeris, retained his position as Superin- 
tendent for seven years, and during that time, besides 
the duty of administration, occupied himself in prepar- 
ing a translation of Gauss' " Theoria Motus," (published 
in Cambridge, 1857,) as well as treatises on "Mechanical 
Quadratures," the computation of a planetary orbit, and 
other mathematical tracts. 

In 1854, Davis received his commission as com- 
mander, and in 1856, at his own request, prompted by 
a desire to renew the regular duties of his profession, a 
love of which he had never relinquished dui'ing his sci- 
entific pursuits, he was appointed to the command of the 
sloop-of war St. Maiy, to cruise in the Pacific Ocean. — 
Professor Winlock, United States Navy, having been 
named to succeed him as Superintendent of the Nautical 
Almanac, he sailed for Aspinwall, and joined his ship at 
Panama in the autumn of 1856. During this cruise, 



IRON-CLADS. 259 

Commander Davis received tlie capitulation of General 
"Walker, while besieged by the allied armies of Central 
America, in the town of Eivas, and reduced to the ex. 
tremest necessity. He also took possession, in the name 
of the United States, of Jarvis and New Nantucket 
Islands, in the remote Pacific, and cruised for some time 
on the western coast of Mexico, at that time, as usual, 
distracted by civil wars. 

After commanding the St. Mary for two years and 
a half, Commander Davis returned home from his sixth 
cruise, and resumed the superintendence of the Nautical 
Almanac, in which office he remained until the breaking 
out of the rebellion. 

Immediately u23on the commencement of hostilities, 
the Government and the Navy Department perceived the 
urgent necessity of calling to their aid the counsels of 
experienced officers, in deciding questions of immediate 
practical importance, and in forming plans for future 
conduct. 

In May, 1861, Commodore Davis was ordered to 
Washington on duty connected with the efficiency and 
discipline of the Naval service, and at about the same 
time was appointed member of two boards. On one 
of these he was associated with Commodores Paulding 
and Smith, with orders to investigate the subject of 
armored ships and floating batteries. To them were sub- 
mitted some fifteen or sixteen proposals, of which they 
accepted but three — one for the building of the Monitor 
— one for that of the Galena, and the other for the Iron- 
sides. The result showed the wisdom and sagacity of 
the commissioners. 

The other board — of which Captain S. F. Dupont, 
United States Navy, Major (now Major General), J. G. 



260 EEAE-ADMIEAL CHAELES HENEY DAVIS. 

Barnard, United States Engineers, and Prof. A. D. 
Baclie, were the otlier members — was organized for the 
purpose of considering not on]y the general blockade of 
the southern coast, but the seizure of available harbors 
along it. The result of the labors of this second board, 
of which Commander Davis was junior member and 
secretary, was the organization of several combined 
naval and military expeditions against southern ports. 
Of one of those, directed against the coast of South 
Carolina, Captain Dupont was appointed flag-officer, and 
Commander Davis his chief of staff, and captain of the 
fleet. 

There was no officer in the fleet of more importance 
to Dupont than Davis, and of this he was ftdly conscious. 
In his report from Port Royal, he says '' The Depart- 
ment is well aware that all the aids to navigation have 
been removed, and the bar lies ten miles seaward, with 
no features on the shore line with sufficient prominence 
to make any bearing reliable. But owing to the skill 
of Commander Davis, the fleet captain, and Mr. Boutelle, 
the able assistant of the Coast Survey, the channel was 
immediately found, sounded out, and buoyed." And, 
again, he says : " By three o'clock, I received assurances 
from Captain Davis that I could send forward the lighter 
transports, those under eighteen feet, with all the gun- 
boats, which was immediately done." As before, so in 
the terrific battle that followed, Davis exhibited the 
same skill and coolness that subsequently distinguished 
him. He was of more service to Dupont in achieving 
this great victory than half a dozen gunboats. 

The next winter he was placed in charge of the ex- 
pedition sent to sink the stone fleet in Charleston harbor, 
and block up the main channel by which blockade run- 



THE STONE FLEET. 261 

ners evaded our squadron. He took sixteen old whale- 
ships loaded with stone ; and, towing them into the chan- 
nel, scuttled and sunk them. This caused an outcry from 
the people of Charleston, and provoked a remonstrance 
from the English Government, which seemed to be shocked 
at the barbarity of a nation that could thus forever, as it 
was said, destroy a great seaport. 

It was no easy task to get these old, heavily-loaded 
vessels from Port Royal to Charleston, and sink them in 
the right spot ; but a better man could not have been 
found to perform the labor than Davis, who, from 1842 
to 1849, was chief of a hydrographic party in the coast 
survey, and who, in 1851, was one of the commanders 
appointed by the Government, at the request of South 
Carolina, to superintend the improvement of Charleston 
harbor, in which work he was engaged for several years. 
No one knew the channel better ; and hence, though his 
present work stood in singular contrast to the one he was 
then engaged in, his knowledge was none the less valu- 
able. 

A witness of this extraordinary scene says : "It was 
sufficently novel and striking to satisfy any one. At half- 
past ten the last plug was drawn, and every ship of the 
sixteen was either sunk or sinkino;." None of the vessels 
wholly disappeared from sight, and those which keeled 
over farthest, and were most under water, had subsided in 
a very deliberate manner. An impassable line of wrecks 
was thus drawn for an eighth of a mile across the channel. 
All but two or three were soon under water — some on their 
beam-ends, some down by the head, others by the stern, 
and the masts, spars, and rigging of the thickly-crowded 
ships were mingled and tangled in the greatest confusion. 
They did not long remain so. The boats which had been 



262 EEAE-ADMEAL CHAELES HEIfEY DAVIS. 

swarming about the wrecks were ordered to cut awaj 
the masts. The snapping of stays and shrouds, as one 
after another tumbled into the sea, sounded like irregular 
voUies of musketry. For two hours this work went on, 
while the heavy boom of cannon from Fort Sumter, as it 
came down the bay, sounded a requiem to the dying 
fleet. One ship out of the sixteen had her masts left 
standing, adding by contrast to the desolation of the 
scene. As night came on, this was set on fire, and blazed 
up over the waters of the bay like a funeral pyre. The 
rebels from Sumter, Moultrie, and Sullivan's Island, could 
see what was going on, but were powerless to prevent it, 
and could only vent their indignation in unavailing curses. 

A witness of the operation said, "An efibrt to block- 
ade a tidal harbor like this presented a wholly new prob- 
lem, which was worked out by Captain Davis, with 
great ingenuity and scientific skill." 

In the following January, Davis was sent by Dupont 
with some ten vessels, accompanied by three transports, 
which carried twenty-four hundred men, to flank Fort 
Pulaski, by the Little Tybee river. On the 26th he 
passed the fort, the commander of which was so taken 
by surprise to find vessels on that side of him, that he did 
not even fire upon them. The telegraph wires were cut 
leading to the city, and all the surveys and examinations 
made, necessary to form a conclusion as to the propriety 
of seizing Wilmington Island. 

While he was engaged in this work, Commodore 
Tatnall, with five rebel steamers, attempted to pass do^Ti 
the river to the fort. Davis at once opened fire upon them, 
and, after a half hour's engagement, drove two off. The 
other three succeeded in reaching Pulaski. In two or 
three hours the latter returned and renewed the attack, 



FIGHT AT FOET PILLOW. 263 

and though there was heavy firing, owing to the interven- 
tion of the banks of the river which separated the vessels, 
but little damage was done. 

Early in the following month he accompanied 
Dupont on an expedition against Fort Clinton, and 
Fernandina, Florida, which were captured with little 
fighting. 

In March, 1862, Captain Davis was detached from 
the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, and in April 
ordered to relieve Flag-Officer Foote, and assume the 
command of the Mississippi flotilla. He entered upon 
this duty on the 9 th of May. On the following morning, 
May 10th, he gained the naval victory off Fort Pillow. 

Soon after daylight, the mortar-boats were towed 
down to open on Fort Wright, and had hardly taken their 
positions, when the rebel ram, Louisiana, appeared round 
a point below, accompanied by four other gunboats, and 
made for the Cincinnati, which was in advance. The 
ram endeavored to run the latter down ; but the cap- 
tain turned the vessel's head, so that his powerful antag- 
onist, instead of striking him, came fairly alongside, 
when the former opened his batteries ; and, drawing his 
pistol, coolly shot the rebel pilot dead at his wheel. At 
the same time, however, he himself was struck on the 
shoulder by a musket-ball, and severely wounded. The 
opposmg crews, now in close proximity, opened a fierce 
fire of small arms, while shouts and curses helped to swell 
the din and tumult. The next moment the Cincinnati 
opened her steam batteries, which sent a cloud of hissing, 
scalding vapor into the rebel vessel, clearing her decks 
instantaneously, and causing her to haul off in consterna- 
tion. Three other boats now joined in the attack, and 
among them the Mallory ; but before she could inflict 



264 EEAE-AD^nRAL CHAELES HENEY DAVIS. 

any damage, the St. Louis, obeying Davis' signal, came 
down on her under full headway, and, striking her amid- 
ships, cut her almost in two, sending her to the bottom 
with most of her crew. The rest of Davis' fleet now came 
up, and a close, fierce conflict followed, in which the firing 
was so rapid, that the loud explosions seemed like one 
continued report. In a few minutes, there came out of the 
clouds of rolling and enfolding smoke a report louder than 
the explosion of cannon. A rebel gunboat had blown 
up, and in a few moments went to the bottom, leaving 
only scattered fi:'agments, covered with struggling swim- 
mers, to tell where she had gone do"\vn. But a short 
interval elapsed, when there came out of the bosom of the 
sulphurous cloud, another report, telling that another 
rebel vessel had gone to join her consort. Davis, on the 
flagship Benton, directed every movement — makmg no 
mistake from first to last. He handled his fleet amid all 
this confusion and obscurity, with a coolness and sagacity 
that elicited the warmest admiration, and showed that 
Foote had left a worthy successor. 

The action lasted for an hour ; and, when it was over, 
the remains of the rebel fleet were seen steaming back to 
their old position. 

After the evacuation of Fort Pillow, Davis passed on 
down to Memphis. He led the squadron in the Benton, 
which swept majestically do^vn the river towards Fort 
Eandolph, that lay between it and the city. As the fleet 
approached it, Davis was seen pacing his quarter-deck 
with a measured yet impatient step, turning his eye in 
the direction of the fort. As he drew near, he saw the 
stars and stripes floating above it — the garrison having 
fled to Memphis. The city was only twelve miles dis- 
tant ; and yet there were no signs of the enemy, except the 



FIGHT AT MEMPHIS. 265 

smoke and flames along the shore, arising from the burn- 
ing cotton, which they had set on fire to prevent its fall- 
ing into our hands. At a little after four o'clock, as he 
swung around a bend, he saw ahead the rebel steamer- 
transport Sovereign. The next moment an eighty-four- 
pound shot passed over her to bring her to. She not 
obeying the summons, Davis said : " Fire again. Captain 
Phelps ; bring her to." The Benton now fired nine shots 
in rapid succession, when the Sovereign, unhurt, swept 
around a bend, and was lost to view. The tug Spitfire start> 
ed in pursuit ; and, after a:i exciting chase, overhauled and 
captured her. Davis, in the mean time, kept steadily on 
with the fleet ; and, a little before nine o'clock in the even- 
ing, came in full view of Memphis, the lights of which 
could be seen twinkling along the banks. He then sig- 
nalled to anchor ; and the vessels soon lay gently sleeping 
on the bosom of the Mississippi. It was a beautiful night; 
the air was mild and balmy, and the moon sailed quietly 
above amid her islands of stars. In the mean time the 
transports landed troops on the Arkansas shore, to serve 
as pickets during the night, while the men slept beside 
their guns, ready at a moment's notice to receive the 
enemy, should he venture on a night attack. The quiet, 
however, remained unbroken until midnight, when a 
brio^ht liofht was seen down the river, near the Tennes- 
see shore, where a rebel tug, which, having got so hard 
aground, it was found impossible to heave off, had been 
set on fire by the crew, and now blazed brightly up in 
the darkness. 

At five o'clock in the morning, Davis, from the Ben- 
ton, which was lying only a mile and a half from Mem- 
phis, cast his eye towards the city, glittering in the early 
rays of an unclouded sun, and saw the bluffs black with 



266 KEAE- ADMIRAL CHARLES HENRY DAVIS. 

citizens, who at that early hour had come forth to wit- 
ness the battle that they knew was soon to come off. 

A little before six, several dark gunboats were seen 
coming around the bend below. A few minutes later, 
and Davis issued his orders: "All hands to quarters!" 
and soon the entire fleet (Davis, in the Benton, leading 
the van) slowly advanced. Eight rebel rams, commanded 
by Commodore Montgomery, steamed boldly up to meet 
him, while the shore was lined with thousands of spec- 
tators, gazing with breathless interest on the exciting 
spectacle. The " Little Kebel," as she came opposite the 
city, fired the first shot, to which the Benton replied. 
A moment later, and another of her heavy shot went 
booming along the Mississippi, and then the conflict 
opened. In the midst of the heavy firing, down came 
Colonel Ellet, with the two rams Queen of the West 
and Monarch ; and, passing through the fleet under a full 
head of steam, drove straight on the rebel boats. The 
hostile rams now dashed furiously into each other, while 
the guns of the other vessels poured in their heavy shot 
and shells. Swift-rolling clouds shut out the morning 
sun, and out of their invohvdng folds came the crash 
of coUidino; vessels, and cries and shouts of men. In an 
hour and twenty minutes it was all over. The General 
Beauregard and Little Rebel were blown up, the Gen- 
eral Lovell sent to the bottom, while the rest of the fleet 
was clapping on all steam to escape destruction in flight. 

Davis, the victory being won, now pressed after the 
fleeing enemy, chasing him for ten miles down the river. 
One vessel after another was captured, until the Van 
Dorn alone was left of the entire rebel squadron that 
moved so confidently to battle scarce an hour before. 
She escaped only by her superior speed. 



EXPLOSION OF THE MOUND CITY. 267 

It was a great victory, and Mempliis now lay at the 
mercy of Davis, and soon the national flag was waving 
above it. 

A few days after, he received the news of the cap- 
ture of two batteries at the St. Charles, sixty miles up 
the White River, by a portion of his fleet under Captain 
Kilty. 

The steamer Mound City had her steam-drum ex- 
ploded in the fight, and blew up, killing and wounding 
over a hundred and fifty, out of a crew of a hundred 
and seventy-five. Davis, in reporting the victory to the 
Department, says : 

The victory at St. Charles, which has probably given us the command 
of White River, and secured my communication with General Curtis, would 
be unalloyed with regret, but for the fatal accident to the steam-drum and 
heater of the Mound City. * * * 

After the explosion took place, the wounded men were shot by the enemy 
while in the water, and the boats of the Conestoga, Lexington, and St. 
Louis, which went to the assistance of the scalded and drowning men of 
the Mound City, were fired into, both with great guns and muskets, and 
were disabled, and one of them forced on shore to prevent sinking. The 
forts were commanded by Lieutenant Josei)h Fry, late of the United States 
Navy, who is now a prisoner and wounded. 

The Department and the country will contrast these barbarities of a 
savage enemy, with the humane efiforts made by our own people to rescue 
the wounded and disabled, under similar cu'cumstances, in the engagement 
of the 6th instant. 

Several of the poor fellows who expired shortly after the engagement, 
expressed their willingness to die, when they were told that the victory was 
ours. 

Davis now kept on down to Vicksburg, where he met 
Farragut, who had, with a portion of his fleet, run the 
batteries from below. With him he planned an expe- 
dition up the Yazoo, to procure correct information con- 
cerning the obstructions and the defences of the river. 
The Carondelet and Tyler, with the ram Queen of the 



268 EEAE-ADMIEAL CHAELES HENEY DAVIS. 

West, composed tlie vessels, but tliey liad entered the river 
only a short distance, when they encountered the rebel 
ram Arkansas coming down. Theii' shots had scarcely her- 
alded her approach, when she appeared at the mouth of 
the stream, steering straight for Vicksburg, although her 
course lay right through the combined squadron. Guns 
opened on her from every side, but she passed on unhurt, 
and anchored safely under the batteries, much to the cha- 
grin of Farragut and Davis. The Benton pursued after; 
but, as Davis said, " at her usual snail's pace, which renders 
any thing like pursuit ludicrous." He, however, attacked 
the batteries, maintaining the bombardment for half an 
hour. In the course of the morning he renewed the 
attack with Farragut on board — ^his object at this time 
being to reconnoitre the rebel works. 

Farragut now detennined to run the batteries again, 
for the double pui'pose of joining the rest of his squad- 
ron below, and destroying the ram Arkansas in his 
passage. In the mean time, to cover the movement, Davis 
steamed uj), and again engaged the batteries. 

The attempt to destroy the ram having failed. Porter, 
in the Essex, determined to try his hand on her, and the 
next morning, shortly after daylight, started on his peril- 
ous mission, while Davis diverted the rebel fire on him- 
self, by moving boldly against the upper batteries. 

This attempt also failed, and, Farragut having gone 
down the river, followed by General Williams with the 
army, Davis abandoned his position before Vicksburg 
as useless and untenable, and moved up to the mouth 
of the Yazoo River. He here sent out an expedition 
under Captain Phelps, which succeeded in destroying 
the fort at Haines' Bluff, and capturing its guns. 

With his force now materially reduced by sickness, 



MADE ADMIEAL. 269 

he moved up tlie river to Helena, to close up liis lines, 
now too extended, to open again the sources of com- 
munication and supply, and resume his conjunction with 
the army. 

During this time, Davis was occasionally Flag- 
Officer, Commodore, and Acting Kear- Admiral of the 
naval forces, on the Mississippi and its tributaries, 
sending off expeditions here, and cooperating with the 
army there, until autumn. In July of the same year. Com- 
modore Davis was confirmed by the Senate as Chief of 
the Bureau of Navigation. After having effected the 
transfer of the Mississippi flotilla from the army to the 
navy, under the provisions of an act of Congress, he 
returned to Washington in November, 1862, and entered 
upon the duties of his new office, in which he remained 
until the spring of 1865. 

On the 7th Feb., 1863, Commodore Davis received a 
vote of thanks from Congress, for his services in the 
war; and, on the same day, was commissioned Rear- 
Admiral in the U. S. Navy. He also received a vote of 
thanks for his services from the legislature of his native 
state. 

In May, 1865, Admiral Davis was appointed Super- 
intendent of the National Observatory, a position which 
he now holds. 

He is a member of the Light-House Board, chair- 
man of the Permanent Commission of the Navy Depart- 
ment, and chairman of a Joint Commission of Officers 
of the Army and Navy on Harbor Obstructions. 

He is also one of the United States commissioners 
of Boston harbor, a fellow of the American Academy of 
Arts and Sciences, a member of the American Philo- 
sophical Society of Philadelphia, and of the National 



270 EEAK-ADMIEAL CHAELES HENEY DAVIS. 

Academy of Sciences. Although it seems hard to take 
a commander from active service, in which he is winning 
distinction, and confine him to shore duty, while his 
companions in arms are winning fame, yet, men of 
marked ability must be had at the head of affairs, and 
personal preferences yield to the public good. As before 
remarked, there were many afloat to whom our vessels 
could be trusted without fear, yet, there were few pos- 
sessing the scientific attainments of Admiral Davis, or 
those qualities so much needed in the successful adminis- 
tration of affairs at Washington. 



CHAPTER XII, 

COMMANDER HOMER C. BLAKE. 

K GREAT EXAMPLE WORTH MOKE THAN AN OEDINAEY VICTORY. — BLAKE's NATIVITY 
AND EARLY EDUCATION. — ENTERS THE NAVY. — HIS FIRST CRUISE ROUND THE 
WORLD. — EIIEPS COMMUNICATION OPEN BETWEEN OUR VESSELS IN THE 
•CHINESE SEA. — SERVES ON THE COAST OF AFRICA. — ENTERS THE NAVAL 
SCHOOL. — PASSED MIDSHIPMAN. — SERVES IN THE WAR WITH MEXICO. — 
CRUISE TO THE EAST INDIES. — SENT HOME TO RECRUIT HIS HEALTH. — JOINS 
THE PARAGUAY EXPEDITION. — ANECDOTE. — SECOND CRUISE TO THE AFRICAN 
COAST. — BREAKING OUT OF THE REBELLION. — BLAKE JOINS THE PORT ROYAL 

EXPEDITION. COMMANDS THE R. R. CUYLER. — TRANSFERRED TO THE HAT- 

TERAS. — A DESCRIPTION OF HER. — ON BLOCKADE DUTY OFF GALVESTON. — 
SENT IN PUESUIT OF A STRANGE STEAMER. — HIS FIGHT WITH THE ALABAMA. 
—CORRESPONDENCE WITH AN ENGLISH CAPTAIN IN KINGSTON. — IS EX- 
CHANGED. — HIS CREW ASK THE GOVERNMENT TO GIVE HIM ANOTHER VESSEL 
TO CRUISE AFTER THE ALABAMA. — COMMANDS THE EOTAW IN THE JAMES 
RIVER. — HIS GREAT SERVICES HERE. — NOW OVER THE BUREAU OF NAVIGA- 
TION IN PORTSMOUTH, N. H. 

It is a curious fact, in our naval history, that a com- 
mander never lost a vessel in an engagement not only 
without being acquitted of all blame, but absolutely 
winning laurels by his misfortune. The manner in which 
he fought his ship, the heroism he displayed, and the 
desperate nature of the contest, made the defeat, by the 
p-eat example it furnished, worth as much to the coun- 
try and the navy as a factory would have been. 



272 COMMANDER HOMEE C. BLAEE. 

Tiius Lawi^ence, crying out on tlie verge of death, 
" Don't give up tlie sliip," altliougli victory was hopeless, 
furnislied a motto that has been worth more than a 
dozen victories to the Na\^. 

Porter, standins: on the deck of his shattered 
vessel, in the harbor of Valparaiso, Avith his colors 
struck, was a hero gi-eater than any ordinary victory 
could have made him, while the example he set of how 
an American commander should fight his ship, has 
awakened a spirit of emulation in oui- commanders that 
will exert a powerful influence as long as our navy 
exists. The same is true of the gallant Blake, carrying 
his frail vessel into a hopeless combat, and then fighting 
her till she was a wreck and fast sinking. 

Homer C. Blaeje was born in Dutchess County, New 
York State, on the 1st day of Febmary, 1822. His 
father's name was Elisha Blake, and his mother's Merilla 
Crane. When he was but a year old, his father moved 
into what was then considered the far "West, Ohio, and 
settled in that section called the Western Reserve. Here 
he grew up from boyhood, attending the schools common 
to that part of the country, and laboring at intervals, as 
the youth of that time around him were accustomed to do. 

Through the influence of fiiends, he, at the age of 
eighteen, March 2d, 1840, received the appointment of 
midshipman. In the following December, he joined 
the Constellation frigate, and in her made a cruise round 
the world. A mere lad, the change fr'om a secluded life 
in a remote town in the West, to the wide field opened 
before him in this extended cruise, could not have been 
greater, and it matured him fast. Active, alert, and 
always ready for any duty, he showed at the outset that 
he had chosen the profession for which he was designed. 



EAELY CEUISES. 273 

His first voyage lasted for over three years, and lie 
did not reacli home until 1844. In that time he had 
become a man, having lived twice three years in ex- 
perience. 

When the Constellation reached China, all communi- 
cation was cut off between the spot where the vessels 
anchored and Canton. But it was all-important that 
this should be kept open ; and the duty of doing this 
was committed to young Blake, who, in an open boat, 
with only twelve men, performed it to the entire satis- 
faction of his commander. At this time, the price of an 
Englishman's head was a thousand dollars, and as the 
Chinamen were not very scru2:)ulous what kind of head 
they brought to market, and no one could distinguish 
l^etween that of an Englishman and an American, it 
required the utmost care and vigilance on the part of 
the young midshij)man to keep his head from going into 
their basket. 

On his return, he was allowed only a short furlough, 
in which to visit his friends ; and in a few weeks was 
ordered to join the sloop-of war Preble, about to sail for 
the coast of Africa. He remained for a year on this 
inhospitable coast, engaged in the arduous, annoying, 
and often dangerous duty of suppressing the slave-trade. 

On his return from this cruise, he entered the United 
States Naval School, to add scientific to his practical 
knowledge, and thus enable him to make the latter 
broader in its application, and enlarge the field of his 
future influence. 

Here he showed the same devotion to study that 
he had to practical duties, and the same facility in mas- 
tering whatever he undertook. Having completed his 
education, for which his four years of actual service had 



274 COMMANDER HOMEE C. BLAKE. 

been an admirable preparation, lie graduated in 1846, 
as passed midshipman. Six years of practical and scien- 
tific training seen^s a long time before one passes the 
the threshold of his profession, but none too long to make 
the accom23lished ofiicers we need in the navy. 

The war in Mexico now breaking out, young Blake, 
ambitious of distinction, a23plied for active service, and 
was attached to his old vessel, the sloop-of-war Preble, 
and sent to the coast of California. He would have pre- 
ferred a different vessel and a destination which placed 
him more directly in the vicinity of the army, where the 
hard fighting was expected to take place. As a rule, 
officers do not like sloops-of war. In the fii'st place, they 
are too small to perform any great work, while theu' 
armament makes them top-heavy, and anything but 
pleasant craft to be in in a heavy sea. 

His duties were various on the coast of California, 
but furnished no ojDportunity for distinguishing himself. 

In the mean time the war drew to a close, and in 
1848 the Preble was detached from that station, and 
ordered to the East Indies. But scarcely had the vessel, 
after her long voyage, reached Canton, when Blake's 
health became so feeble that he was unfit for duty. There 
seeming to be no prospect of recovering on board the 
sloop and in that unfavorable climate, he was j)ermitted 
to retuim home. 

He was now employed for a short time on shore in 
the coast survey. 

But, in 1850, we find him again afloat in the frigate 
Raritan, bound* once more for the Pacific. He did not, 
however, complete his cruise in her, but was transferred 
to the sloop-of war St. Mary. In this vessel he kept on 
to the China Seas, and so home by way of the Cape of 



AN LN-CIDENT. 275 

Good Hope — tlius, in about nine years, making three 
voyages around tlie world. 

In 1856, lie again joined tlie Raritan frigate, and 
sailed for tlie coast of Brazil. This vessel formed a part 
of the Paraguay expedition. The expedition was de- 
void of interest ; but a little incident occurred, while 
Blake's vessel lay at Rio Janeiro, which would have 
been forgotten had it not been related by one of the 
Russian officers, who visited our country a short time 
since, and were received with so much disj^lay in New 
York. Several English and French men-ofwar were 
in the port of Rio Janeiro at the same time that 
the St. Lawrence was there. Soon after, the Russian 
ship-of war Diana came into harbor — one of the vessels 
that bore a prominent part in the repulse of the English 
and French on the Asiatic coast. One day, some ten or 
twelve of her crew came ashore on leave, and were walk- 
ing leisurely along, when they were suddenly set upon 
by a large party of French and English sailors. Near by, 
a group of American officers were standing, spectators of 
the scene. The Russians were getting badly beaten, 
when one of the officers stepped quickly forward amid 
the combatants, and, laying his hand on his sword, soon 
turned the scale, so that the Russian sailors came off 
victors. It was only a passing incident, forgotten by 
that officer the next horn', and never^ perhaps recalled 
again, till, five or six years after, it was told by a Russian 
officer on our own soil, to show the friendly relations 
that existed between the two nations. Forgotten by us, 
it had been repeated in the Russian navy, and made 
every sailor who heard it our fast friend. Tliat officer 
was Homer C. Blake. 

On his return from this cruise, in 185T, he ^vas em- 



276 COMMANDER HOMER C, BLAKE. 

ployed for a while on shore duty. He was then again 
sent to the coast of Africa, returning in the latter paii: 
of the next year. 

For twenty years Blake had now been almost con- 
stantly afloat, enriching his experience by almost every 
species of navigation, till he was fit to command any 
vessel, yet apparently without any prospect of reaching 
the grade of captain until he should be almost old 
enough to be put on the retired list. 

But the election of 1860 precipitated the long- 
threatened collision between the North and South ; and 
when, in 1861, the war actually broke out, Blake applied 
for active duty. No doubt or vacillation disturbed him 
in choosing the course he should take. His sword and 
his life he wished to cast together, if need be, to sustain 
the old flag he had sailed under in every sea on the 
globe, and whose folds had been his protection in nearly 
every harbor of the world. 

He was first ordered to the Sabine, which was em- 
ployed on the coast of South Carolina. This vessel 
formed a part of the Port Royal expedition ; but, being 
detained in rescuing the crew of the Governor, during 
a violent storm, she did not arrive in time to take part 
in the engagement. The Sabine being soon withdrawn 
from this station, and employed on recruiting duty, 
Blake, who could not brook such a tame emj)loyment 
amid the vast preparations for deadly combat going on 
around him on every side, requested to be detached from 
her and placed at the post of danger. 

He was ordered to the command of the R. R. Cuyler, 
and, though the vessel was not one which he would have 
selected for active service, it was with feelings of pride 
that he found himself in separate command. 



THE HATTEEAS. 277 

He was, however, soon transferred from her to the 
command of the Hatteras. As this vessel went, with 
all her armament and her brave dead, to the bottom of 
the sea, a brief description of her may not be out of 
place, especially as the southern press called her an iron- 
clad, and the rebel congress passed a vote of thanks to 
Semmes, for sinking so formidable a ship, and achieving 
such a transcendent victory. 

She was originally built at Wilmington, as a passen- 
ger vessel between Galveston and Nev/ Orleans, and of 
{he slightest construction, for an iron ship. She was of a 
thousand tons burden, and drawing but seven feet of 
water. 

The government, which in its sore need purchased 
everything that could by any transmutation be called a 
war vessel, bought this also, and, removing the after cabin, 
put an extra planking on her slight pine deck, to enable 
it to bear the light guns which were to be placed on 
board. These consisted of four thirty-two pounders, 
two thirty-pounder rifles, and one twenty-pounder rifle. 
The total weight of metal she flung at a single broadside 
was only one hundred and fourteen pounds, against the 
Alabama's four hundred and thirty-six, or within a frac- 
tion of a quarter as much. The heaviest gun of the 
Hatteras was a 32-pounder ; the heaviest of the Alabama 
was a 110-pounder rifle gun, and a heavy 68, weighing nine 
thousand pounds — a gun which could not have been used 
on the Hatteras without knocking her to pieces. 

The Hatteras, however, was strong enough for ordi- 
nary blockading duty, to which she was ordered off Gal- 
veston, and formed a part of the fleet under command of 
Commodore Bell. 

On Sunday, January 1 1th, in the afternocm, Blake sav/ 



278 C03IMAKDER IIOMEE C. BLAKE. 

a signal from the flagship Brooldjoi, directing him to sail to 
the southward and eastward. After steaming in this 
direction for an hour and a half, the lookout reported a 
steamer bearing to the southward. Blake immediately or- 
dered all steam on, and took along and scrutinizing survey 
of the stranger. As he gradually lessened the distance 
between them, he saw clearly that she was the far-famed 
Alabama, and at once ordered his vessel cleared for action 
— ^being determined to close with her. She did not try 
to escape, but kept under easy way to decoy the Hatteras 
so far from the fleet that no assistance could reach her 
before the conflict would be over. Blake knew that his 
frail vessel would not stand her fire more than fifteen 
or twenty minutes. Almost his only hope therefore in 
closing with her, was, that he could carry her by 
boarding before his vessel was hopelessly crippled. — 
Failing in this, he hoped — though he knew it was 
only one chance out of a thousand — to be able, by a 
lucky shot, to detain her until some of the rest of 
the fleet could come to his assistance. Although the 
heart of a brave commander exults at the prospect of an 
even-handed encounter with a foe, it requires the loftiest 
heroism and the most unselfish patrotism to carry him 
into an encounter where he knows that defeat awaits 
him. We cannot conceive of a more trying position, 
and it awakens the deepest s^Tupathy to see this brave 
officer steadily and sternly moving up to grapple with 
his superior enemy. One may look death, but not de- 
feat, calmly in the face. He had said in a private letter 
to one of his friends, when going down to Galveston : 
" I have much to live for, but I could not be happy to 
purchase my life with any neglect of the duty I owe 
to my country. I shall not seek danger ; but if it comes 



HATTEEAS AND ALABAMA. 279 

I shall take it in the line of my duty, and endeavor to do 
credit to myself, family, and state." That hour had now 
arrived ; and, what adds immeasurably to the interest of 
this combat, the crew knew perfectly well that it was the 
Alabama that now lay-to, waiting for them ; and knew, 
moreover, that it was a hopeless contest on which they were 
about to enter. We all are aware how the hope of suc- 
cess braces men for the combat, and how depressing it is 
to enter on one when defeat is certain. Blake, fully alive 
to this, scanned the countenances of his crew with an 
anxious heart. It was enough for him if he could leave 
a great example to those who should come after, but 
would the sailors share his feelings ? It was with heroic 
pride, therefore, that he saw every face calm and firmly set 
for the struggle. He could read there the determination to 
fight while a plank would float them, and then sink with 
their brave commander, and their colors flying. No 
eulogy on the latter could be pronounced so great as this 
quiet, deep devotion of his crew. He must be a rare 
officer who can \nn it. 

As the Hatteras pressed forward, night began to 
o;ather over the water, and Blake saw that his antaaronist 
had ceased steaming and was lying "broadside on," await- 
ing his approach. The stranger was now only about four 
miles off^, and loomed clearly up in the darkness. Blake, 
however, kept silently on, the men at quarters with 
strings in hand and with orders to fire at the slightest 
hostile movement on the part of the enemy. When with- 
in seventy-five yards, he hailed, " What steamer is that ? " 
Back through the gloom came the hoarse reply : " Her 
Britannic Majesty's ship Vixen." Blake then said he 
would send a boat aboard, and, turning, gave the order to 
have one lowered immediately. But scarcely had the 



280 COMMANDER IIOiMER C. BLAKE. 

boatman's shrill whistle rung over the water, when the 
stranger shouted, " We are the Confederate steamer Ala- 
bama," followed instantaneously by a full broadside. The 
darkness had hardly closed over the flash, when the guns 
of the Hatteras replied, and the terrible conflict com- 
menced. Although almost within pistol-shot, Blake kept 
straight towards the Alabama, knowing that his only 
chance was to close with her. If he once could grapple 
her firmly, he knew his brave crew would sweep her decks 
like a storm. He at length got within thirty yards, -when 
muskets and pistols were used, and he hoped in a minute 
more to hear the shout of his boarders. But Semmes 
knew his advantage too well, and penetrating Blake's 
design, shot ahead with his swifter craft and poured in 
his broadsides. Blake continued to hug him close, strain- 
ing every nerve to lock him in a death grapple, but in 
vain. With his greater speed Semmes easily avoided it, 
while his heavy shot was doing fearful execution. A 
barrel of turpentine lay in the lower part of the hold of 
tlie Hatteras, covered with stores; and a shell, entering the 
vessel, exploded near it, setting it on fire. In an instant 
the hold was a mass of flame, roaring along the vessel's 
sides. The alarm was sounded, and the firemen sprang 
beloY*^ to extinguish the fire. Blake in a moment saw 
that this vv^as impossible, and ordered the firemen to re- 
turn to their guns. With the promptness of men on drill 
they wdieeled into their places, and began to load and fire 
coolly as ever, though the flames were coming fiercely up 
the hatchways. The magazine and shell room were 
above the water-line, and consti ucted of nothing but thin 
pine plank, and in a few moments the first lieutenant came 
on deck and reported that the fire was burning the bulk, 
heads. Blake, ^vith his heroic nature now thoroughly 



THE COMBAT. 281 

aroused, replied: "Never mind — she won't blow up for 
fifteen minutes yet, and we must figlit on if we all go tc 
the bottom," — and they did fight on, firing with a rapidi- 
ty probably never before equalled in a naval combat. 
Being close alongside, no training of the guns was neces- 
sary, and Blake knew that he must try to make up for 
disparity in weight of metal, by rapid firing, and so 
ordered the guns to be fought from a tight heading and 
not sponged. Before they were so fouled as to be useless, 
he knew the conflict would be over. 

In a few minutes the Hatteras was in flames fore and 
aft, her walking-beam was shot away, her port wheel 
smashed to fragments, her decks a mass of splinters, and 
the brave vessel a hopeless wreck. Blake stood amid the 
ruins around him calm and collected — determined that 
the flag, which the flashes of his guns still revealed flying 
above him, should never be struck — but the next moment, 
he saw that his vessel was fast settling in the water, and 
firing his last gun, just as the water was coming on deck, 
he, out of feelings of humanity for his brave crew, ordered 
a gun fired to leeward, in token of surrender. The firing 
at once ceased, and Semmes hailed to know if he wanted 
help. Blake replied in the affirmative, and at the same 
time lowered his own boat. Other boats were soon in 
the water, and the entire crew, with the exception of 
Blake, were safely placed aboard them. He, with two 
dead men, remained alone on the wreck until all Avere out 
of her, when he also stepped off the submerged deck into 
a boat and was taken on board the Alabama. 

The fight had lasted less than twenty mmutes. Scarcely 
were the prisoners secured, when the Hatteras, with a 
heavy lurch, went to the bottom, her flag still proudly 
flying. 



282 COMMANDER HOMER C. BLAKE. 

Commodore Bell saw the flashes of the guns more 
than twenty miles distant, and heard the rapid explosions, 
and immediately sent off three vessels to aid the Hatteras. 
But utter darkness and silence soon settled over the water, 
and they cruised at random all night. Next day they 
found the mastheads of the Hatteras standing upright, 
and out of water, "tops and gaves. awash, and the hurri- 
cane-deck adrift." This told the story ; but whether her 
brave commander and crew were below with her, and this 
was the monument above their watery graves, they could 
not tell. 

In the mean time the Alabama bore away for Kings- 
ton, Jamaica, with her prisoners. 

Blake, who knew that the short but terrific cannon- 
ading of the two vessels must have been heard by our 
fleet off Galveston, hoped that the Alabama would be over- 
hauled and captured, and every day scanned the waters 
with an anxious eye. But no help came, and in nme 
days the crippled pirate reached port The British 
steamer Greyhound was in the harbor at the time, and, 
when she heard that the Alabama had airived, the band 
struck up "Dixie's Land." Blake, who was chafing under 
his captivity, could not brook this fresh insult, and imme- 
diately sent the following note to the commander of 
that vessel. 

"January 24, 18G3. 

" To the Commander of E. B. M. ship Greyhound: • 

"Lieutenant- Commander II. 0. Blake, of the United States Favy, pre- 
sents his compliments to the Commander of II. B. M. ship Greyhound, and 
desires to learn whether or not he may consider the playing of ' Dixie's 
Land' by the band of the Greyhound, upon the arrival of the Confederate 
steamer Alabama, on the evening of the 21st instant, as a mark of disrespect 
to the United States Government, or its officers who were prisoners on board 
the Alabama, at the period indicated. Lieutenant-Commander H. C. Blake 
respectfully requests an early response. 
'■'•United States Consulate^ Jamaica.'''' 



AN APOLOGY. 283 

To this the former returned the annexed handsome, 
frank, and satisfactory reply. 

" Commander Hicldey, R. N., presents liia compliments to Lieutenant- 
Commander Blake, U. S. F., and has to acquaint himtLat on the evening in 

question he was on board the A , dining with Cajitain Crocroft. Shortly 

after the time of the officer of the guard reporting the Alabama's arrival, he 
heard the drums and fifes of 11. M. S. Greyhound playing, among other tuues, 
the tune of 'Dixie's Land.' He immediately repaired on board, causing 
other national tunes to be played, among which was the United States 
national air, and severely reprimanded the inconsiderate young officer who 
had ordered ' Dixie's Land ' to be played, calling for his reasons, and writing 
and forwarding them forthwith, with his report to Commodore Hugh Dunlop, 
C.B., who severely reprimanded the officer. 

"As the otEcer in question had no idea that any U. S. officer or man was 
on board the Alabama, It must be evident to Lieutenant-Commander Blake 
that no insult was intended. 

'■'■II. II. S. Greijliound, Port lioyal, Jamaica, January %\:, 18G3," 

Semmes treated Blake and the prisoners with gene- 
rosity, but said to another officer that Blake had " more 
d — d assurance than any man he ever saw," to attack 
such a vessel as the Alabama with the Hatteras. But 
weak as the latter was, she, in the short, unequal contest, 
so severely handled the rebel craft, that she had to remain 
for a long time in port to be fit for sea again, the repairs 
costing $86,000 in gold. 

Semmes, however, was highly complimented by his 
Government, and his conduct commended to the notice 
of Congress. Blake might say, with Paul Jones, who, 
when he heard that Captain Pearson, of the Serapis, 
had been made a knight, after the battle with him, 
remarked : " If I ever catch him at sea again I'll make 
a lord of him.'' 

Though Blake lost his vessel, he broke uj) Semmes' 
plans, which, if carried out, would have caused us more 
damasre than the loss of a dozen such vessels as the 



284 COM]MAOT)EE HOMER C. BLAKE. 

Hatteras. He was sliort of provisions and coal, and in- 
tended to supply liimself with these from some of our 
merchant steamers off Galveston, and then run into the 
mouth of the Mississippi, and fall in with and captiu'e 
Banks' expedition. 

But, however these plans might have resulted, the 
noble examj^le set by Blahe and his crew was worth more 
than many such vessels. A great example of self-devo- 
tion lives forever, and this brave, hoj^eless attack of the 
Alabama will be remembered as long as naval heroism 
is recorded. Ever present to a commander's mind, he 
cannot shrink from any contest, however hopeless, when 
his country's good requires it. 

Blake's crew showed their appreciation of his conduct, 
by sending a petition to the Department, asking that the 
steamer Eutaw might be given him, and they be allowed 
to cruise after the Alabama. They say : " We assure you, 
that if it could be understood that a steamer was actu- 
ally fitting out, under our able commander, hundreds of 
seamen now lost to the service would be eager to en- 
list." * * * And again : " It took the Alabama 
twenty minutes to sink the Hatteras. But if we once 
get alongside of her with the Eutaw, and Captain Blake 
for her commander, we will either sink or capture her 
in half that time." " We ivant satisfaction^ and it lies 
in your power to place us in a position that will give us 
a chance to take or destroy this notorious pirated 

It must be a source of gratification to Blake, to know 
how the crew that fought this hopeless battle under him, 
longed once more to stand on the same deck with him, 
in another encounter with their common adversary. It 
is higher praise than government officials can bestow. A 
crew that so loves and trusts their commander, will 



LAST GREAT SERVICE. 285 

never see tlieir flag struck, while their guns can carry 
shot. 

The Eutaw was given Blake, but, instead of being- 
sent after the Alabama, was stationed in the James 
River. Here she was constantly engaged — now in par- 
tial engagements with the enemy, and now in transpoi-t- 
ing troops. 

In the latter paii; of 1863, the rebel press announced 
that a movement would soon be made on their part 
which wonld astonish the world. It actually took place 
on the 24th of January, 1864. 

In order to understand the object and result exjDected 
by this movement, it must be remembered, that, with 
our ii'on-clads, we could go no further than " Trent 
Reach," the greatest depth of water beyond being twelve 
and a half feet, while they drew thirteen and fourteen feet. 
Finding them useless for a direct attack on Richmond, 
and the Government requiring them on the coast, a 
line of strong obstructions was thrown across the river 
at this point. The ii'on-clad Onondaga, and a few 
wooden gunboats, were left to prevent the rebels from 
removing them (a force fully adequate to the duty, if 
properly used). The rebels had now their rams, and a 
number of other vessels. Semmes had returned, and was 
appointed to the command of their fleet. Longstreet, 
with twenty-five thousand men, moved to the right of 
the army of the James ; Lee, to the left of the army of 
the Potomac ; and Semmes with his fleet was to force 
the obstructions, pass down, destroying the pontoons, cut- 
ting the connection of the two armies, capture City Point, 
our base of supplies, and take possession of the James 
River. On the day fixed, the rebel fleet came down, 
driving in our pickets, and commenced the removal 



286 COMMANDER HOMEE C. BLAKE. 

of our obstructions. Tlie naval commander, instead of 
taking his vessel to tlie protection of his defences, retired, 
and allowed them to be removed, thus leaving a passage 
for the rebel fleet. Most fortunately for us, two of the 
rebel rams, waiting for the opening of the channel, got 
aground, thus frustrating the plan for that night. The 
enemy, however, prepared for a second attempt at high 
water the following night. Blake was at this time sta- 
tioned at Deep Bottom, on the " east side," to protect the 
right of the " army of the James." On the morning of 
the 25th, the commander of the naval division having been 
removed for his conduct on the previous day, Blake took 
command of it. On going on board the Onondaga, he 
found her port propeller disabled ; yet, with her in this 
condition, and only a few small gunboats, he was to con- 
tend with the rebel fleet. A false step, or a moment's 
hesitation, would endanger the safety of our armies. 
Against the advice of almost all the officers, he got the 
Onondaga, with the assistance of tugs, close to the ob- 
structions, and directly under the fire of the rebel bat- 
teries, and in such a position that, if she was sunk either 
by the rams or torpedo-boats, as he expected, she would 
take the place of the removed obstructions. This action 
prevented a second attempt, as he was afterward in- 
formed by one of the officers who was attached to the 
rebel fleet. 

A sino'le extract of a letter fi-om Admiral Porter to 
him, will show how gi^eat was the service he performed. 
The admiral says : " Had your predecessor done as well, 
we should now be in ]possession of the entire rebel navy, 
and on our way to Kichmond." On the return of the ad- 
miral from the capture of Fort Fisher, Blake was continued 
in command of the iron-clads and naval picket line, and 



PEESENT POSITION 287 

had tlie pleasure of taking part in the engagement which 
caused' the fall of Eichmond, and saw the old flag assume 
its proper place on the state house of that city. 

He is now at the head of the Bureau of Navigation, 
at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

COMMODORE JOHN A. WIXSLOW. 

HIS BIETH. — AXOESTKT. — ENTEES THE NAVAL SEKVIOE. — SENT TO THE WEST 
INDIES. — CRUISES IN THE PACIFIO OCEAN. — SUBSEQUENT SEEVIOES. — PEO- 

MOTION. SEEVES IN THE WAE WITH MEXICO. — FIGHT IN TOBASCO. — 

GIVEN A OnOICE OF VESSELS FOE HIS GALLANTRY. — SEMMES BECOMES HIS 
ROOMMATE. — STRANGE CONTRASTS. — IN HATTI AND YUCATAN. — A CRUISE 
IN THE PACIFIC. — BREAKING OUT OF THE REBELLION. — -WINSLO-W SENT 
WEST TO CO-OPERATE ^YITH FOOTE. — EQUIPS HIS FLOTILLA. — IS WOUNDED 
IN TRYING TO GET THE " BENTON " AFLOAT AFTER GROUNDING. — SENT UP 
THE WHITE RIVER. — DETERS OFFICERS FROM DEMANDING OF THE GOVERN- 
MENT HIS APPOINTMENT TO THE COMMAND OF THE MISSISSIPPI FLOTILLA. 
— ORDERED EAST TO TAK:E COMMAND OF THE KEAESARGE. — HIS CRUISE IN 
SEARCH OF THE ALABAMA. — BOLD NAVIGATION. — BLOCKADES THE FLORIDA. 
HIS VESSEL RUN ASHORE BY REBEL PILOTS. — FINDS THE ALABAMA AT CHEB- 
BOUEG. — IS CHALLENGED BY SEMMES. — BEFORE THE COMBAT. — THE COM- 
BAT. — A BRAVE SEAMAN. — THE VICTORY. — YACHT GREYHOUND. — ENGLISH 
PERFIDY. — SEMMEs' FALSEHOODS REFUTED. — THE ENGLISH PRESS. — THE 

TWO VESSELS COMPARED, — LETTER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY. 

UNJUST CENSURE. — FEELING OF THE PEOPLE. — WINSLOw's VINDICATION. 
— HIS CHARACTER. 

Often a man devoted to a single calling or profession 
passes through life without being kno^vn but little outside 
of the particular sphere in which he moved. The most 
untiring industry, faithfulness to duty, and signal ability, 
can, at the utmost, only slowly lift him in mere nominal 



HIS ANCESTRY. 289 

rank or position. It is only rarely that circumstances so 
coinbine as to allow him in one single effort to show to 
the world what he has been preparing for, or what he is 
capable of doing. This is more especially true of those 
whose studies and training look to outward physical 
results. 

WiNSLOW is an illustration of the truth of this state- 
ment. Although, for nearly thirty years in the naval 
service — an accomplished officer — a thorough commander, 
and a man of great mental ability, yet, but for the for- 
tunate event that brought him in contact with the Ala- 
bama, his real worth would not have been known out- 
side of the naval profession. 

John A. Winslow is a southerner by birth, having 
been born in Wilmington, North Carolina, November 
19th, 1811. On the mother's side, whose name was 
Sarah E. Anerim, he came from the celebrated Rhett 
family of Charleston, but, on the father's, from the best 
Massachusetts stock, being the seventh generation from 
John Winslow, brother of Edward Winslow, Governor 
of Massachusetts Bay, and consecrator of Plymouth 
Rock. Edward Winslow, the common ancestor of the 
family which bore such an important part in the early 
history of the Plymouth colony, was from Drout witch, 
England, ten miles from which the family seat is still 
found. Edward, his son, and afterwards Governor of 
Massachusetts Bay, joined the pilgrims at Leyden. He 
had been just married, but his young wife, true to 
the convictions of duty as himself, left a luxurious 
home and her native land, to encounter the perils and 
hardships of a wilderness, whose solitudes were broken 
only by the cries of wild beasts, and the still more fear- 
ful war-whoop of the savage. 

19 



290 COMMODOEE JOHN A. WINSLOW. 

Four brothers joined him in Plyraoutli colony, one 
of whom was the ancestor of the present renowned com- 
modore. The father of John Winslow was sent from 
Boston, in 1807, to establish the commercial house of 
J. Winslow & Co., which was located at Wilmington. 
This was the way the subject of the present sketch came 
to be born on southern soil. 

When fourteen years of age, he, with his elder 
brother, was sent North to be educated, and placed under 
charge of Rev. Mr. Sewall, of Dedham, to prepare for 
college. The elder brother subsequently entered college ; 
but John's taste inclining to the navy, he, after two 
years of study, entered the service. He was now only 
sixteen years old, but was immediately ordered on active 
duty to the West Indies in the Falmouth. He remained 
here for nearly three years, being frequently sent on 
boat expeditions from Cuba against pirates. The excite- 
ment and adventure of this kind of life exactly suited 
him, and showed that he had chosen the right profession. 
In ] 829 he brought Poinsett home from Mexico. The next 
year he returned, and the year following was ordered, in 
the same ship, to the Pacific Ocean, where for some two 
years or more he was engaged in the ordinary duties of 
a cruise. He returned in 1833, and was examined and 
promoted to passed midshipman. 

For a year and a half he was now employed on naval 
stations. From 1835 to 1837 he served on the coast of 
Brazil in the Ontario and Erie. In 1839 he was pro- 
moted to lieutenant, and again sent to the coast of Bra- 
zil in the brig Enterprise. Returning from this station, 
he was, in 1842, ordered to the steam-frigate Missouri, 
Captain Newton commanding, which, after being em- 
ployed for some time on the coasts of Cuba and Mexico, 



IN THE MEXICAT^ WAE. 291 

was sent to convey Mr. CusMng, minister to China, witli 
despatclies from President Tyler. 

This unfortunate vessel, it is well known, caught fire 
in the harbor of Gibraltar, and was burned up. Winslow 
was sent back by Gushing with despatches to the Gov- 
ernment, announcing the catastrophe. He was ordered by 
the Navy Department to return and assist in the remov- 
ing of the debris, etc. The wi'eck was finally destroyed 
by being blown up with gunpowder. 

He was afterwards employed on shore stations, till 
December, 1845, when he was ordered on board the 
Cumberland, which soon after sailed, as Commodore Con- 
nor's flagship, for Mexico. The Mexican War breaking 
out, he was sent, after the battle of Palo Alto, in a boat 
expedition up the Rio Grande, to prevent the Mexican 
army from crossing the river, but which failed to accom- 
plish its object, as the retreating force effected a passage 
higher up. 

Some time after, he was one of a boat expedition 
sent on shore, fourteen miles from Vera Cruz, to get 
water for the fleet. The boats were attacked, when the 
vessels in the distance opened a heavy fire, which drove 
the assailants back, so that water was obtained. 

Soon after, he Avas drafted with two divisions of the 
flotilla for Tobasco. Caught in a tremendous gale of 
wind, the expedition lay for three days at the mouth of 
the river, unable to enter it. On the 3d, Frontera, three 
miles up the stream, was captured with two steamers 
and some other vessels. The next day, Tobasco was 
reached, and some fourteen vessels captured. Winslow 
landed with his division, and, advancing to the j)laza, 
was met with a shower of musket-balls. A sharj) con- 
test followed, without material advantage to either side. 



292 COMMODOKE JOHN A. WmSLOW. 

At night lie was ordered to retire, and take down the 
river one of the captured vessels. The next day, the 
Mexicans opened from every battery and fort of the city, 
and a general bombardment followed, which resulted in 
the fleet dropping back to Frontera. 

Winslow's bearing was so fine, and his gallantry so 
conspicuous on this occasion, that Perry publicly com- 
plimented him, and as a token of his high appreciation 
of his conduct, gave him the choice of vessels. He se- 
lected the Morris, and sailed to join the fleet at Vera 
Cruz. 

He was next drafted with a division, to sail for Tam- 
pico and capture it. The city, seeing the boats advanc- 
ing, capitulated. Here he remained for six weeks, guard- 
ing the arsenal, until the arrival of troops fi'om New 
Orleans. He then returned to the fleet at Vera Cruz, 
and there found Rapliael Seiwrnes — whose vessel, the 
Somers, had been capsized in a squall, and all but thirty 
of the crew lost — occupying his room. The two after- 
wards shared it together, until other aiTangements could 
be made. Under what widely difterent circumstances 
the same men are sometimes brought together ! To-day, 
a young ofla.cer, having lost his vessel and crew, without 
any assigned place, occupies the room of his brother 
officer and friend, until his return. Fighting under the 
same flag, they have a common feeling and sympathy. 
Winslow especially feels for the unfortunate lieutenant, 
whose vessel, with all her armament, is sleeping at the 
bottom of the Gulf. 

Twenty years pass by, and those two officers meet 
off the coast of France as deadly enemies, sailing under 
different flags. A fierce conflict follows, and when it is 
over Semmes is again swimming for his life, not towards 



A STEIKING CONTEAST. 293 

tlie flag of his country, to find shelter in his friend's room, 
but away from it, and from that former friend, to seek 
protection under a foreign flag. The two meetings stand 
in strange and striking contrast to each other. 

In February, 1847, Winslow was drafted into the 
Mississippi, Commodore Perry commanding, and not long 
after returned home. All hands being detached from the 
vessel, as she was ordered to be altered for a flagship, 
he was sent to Boston on ordnance duty. In March, the 
following year, he sailed as first lieutenant in the Sara- 
toga for Mexico. The vessel stopping at Hayti, where 
the revolution was then in progress, he lauded at night 
in a boat to brincr off the refus^ees, which he succeeded in 
doing, marching unmolested through the town, though 
dark visages crowded around his little band. These 
being sent to Jamaica, he sailed for Yucatan, where he 
was actively engaged in supplying the inhabitants with 
arms, <fec., to enable them to repel an invasion of the 
Mosquito Indians. Having completed this task, he 
went to Tampico, Vera Cruz, and other ports, to gather 
up and send home what belonged to the United States, 
and which had been left there at the close of the war. 

Returning in the summer of 1849, he had a rest of 
two years, and was then ordered to the frigate St. Law- 
rence, and sailed on a cruise in the Pacific. Visiting the 
various ports of South America, the islands of the Pacific, 
San Francisco, &c., he was absent three years and five 
months, engaged in active duty all the while. Return- 
icg in the spring of 1855, he was ordered on recruiting 
duty to Boston. In the following September, he was 
promoted to commander. From that time till the break- 
ing out of the rebellion, he performed various duties 
along the coast, acting, in the mean time, as light-house 



294 COMMODORE JOHN A. WINSLOW. 

inspector. With tliat patriotism and devotion to duty 
whicli liave always distinguished him, the moment he 
heard that the flag he loved so well had been filled upon, 
he hastened to Washington, and applied for active service. 
He was ordered to join Foote at St. Louis, where the 
latter was fitting out a flotilla. To extemporize, equip, 
and man a fleet on the Mississippi, in the short time re- 
quired, was no ordinary task, yet the whole work was 
put on him, and a half dozen other officers. Not only 
were the vessels to be constructed out of such material 
as they could at once lay hands on, but gun-carriages had 
to be made, guns cast, and cordage and anchors procured, 
and then western boatmen taken and drilled into " men- 
of war's men." Foote had great confidence in him, and 
when the fleet was ready, he directed him to make an 
experimental trip with it. He did so, and reported 
the result to the former, who expressed great gratifica- 
tion with it. He then took the fii'st division of the flotilla 
down the river, and joined Grant at Cairo, Foote remain- 
ing in charge of the second division. Having performed 
this duty, he was ordered back to St. Louis to relieve 
Foote, and bring down the second division also. While 
in charge of this, and in command of the flagship Ben- 
ton, which had got hard aground, he met with an acci- 
dent, which came near depriving the country of his valu- 
able services. While superintending the work of getting 
the unwieldy monster oft' shore, the chain attached to 
it parted with the tremendous strain put upon it, and 
the broken link, flying with the force of a cannon ball, 
struck his left arm, tearing out the tendons, and making a 
frightful wound. Crippled and bleeding, he was carried 
to his couch, where he lay helpless for some time. As 
soon as he was able, he went home to recover ; but, just 



SERVICE OH THE MISSISSIPPI. 295 

as Foote was lea\dng for Fort Pillow, lie joined Mm 
again. After tlie action at this place, lie was ordered 
up to hurry down the rams, and did not rejoin the fleet 
till after the action at Memphis. He was then ordered 
to relieve the officer in command of the division at St. 
Charles, White River, where the Mound City had been 
blown up, in the capture of the place. The object of 
this expedition, aided by one regiment under Colonel 
Fitch, was to succor General Curtis. But the enemy was 
in too great force, and attacked the fleet with rifles every 
day, keeping the shores aflame with their fire. In the 
mean time, the river began to fall rapidly, and, in order 
to detain the fleet until it would be left aground, the 
enemy sunk vessels in the channel. For awhile, it 
seemed probable that Winslow would be caught as 
Porter was up the Red River, but by great effort he 
succeeded in destroying the sunken hulks, and reached 
the Mississippi in safety. He now took the Cincinnati, 
and joined the fleet en route for Vicksburg. Effecting a 
junction with the lower fleet, in the action that followed 
he covered the mortar boats. Remaining here two weeks, 
he was sent back to Memphis to cooperate with Sherman 
and take charge of the river above. While he was en- 
gaged in sending out various expeditions against the 
guerillas, and moving backward and forward to keep the 
river free of obstructions from the pestilent gangs, Davis 
was relieved from command of the fleet. Winslow now 
applied to the Department to be transferred to sea-serv- 
ice, as one more congenial to his tastes. The pilots and 
volunteer officers, hearing of this, waited upon him, and 
informed him that they were about sending a delegation 
to Washington, to request the President to give him 
command of the fleet, and to say that, if he refused, 



296 COMMODORE JOHN A. WINSLOW. 

tliey should in a body resign. They also informed Mm, 
to his surprise, that a similar application had been made 
after the battle of Fort Pillow, and now, if their request 
was not granted, they should leave the service. Though 
gratified at this voluntary, strong testimonial of the 
attachment of the officers to him, he was grieved at the 
action they contemplated. In the first place, he wished 
no promotion obtained in this way. In the second 
place, a true patriot himself, he desired that the country 
should have the services of these gallant men, no matter 
what became of him. He told them so, and that they 
must on no account let any personal matter come be- 
tween them and their country — that had the first and 
last claim on them. Inspiring them with his own un- 
selfish and patriotic spirit, he succeeded in dissuading 
them from their purpose. 

Fortunately for his own fame, and the honor of his 
country, and especially of the navy, his request to be 
transferred to sea service was granted, and he was 
shortly afterwards ordered to take command of the 
Kearsarge. He joined the vessel in the early part of the 
year 1863, and was ordered to the coast of Europe to 
watch rebel cruisers. It was with a sense of relief and 
freedom he found himself once more on the broad bosom 
of the ocean, which had been his home for so many 
years. A. man, who, all his life, had been accustomed to 
the deck and armament of a man-of-war, felt ill at ease 
in the cramped-up, nondescript craft that composed the 
western flotilla. Besides, this dodging about up crooked 
narrow streams, fighting guerillas on shore, and raking for 
torpedoes on the bottom of rivers, is to the thorough- 
trained sailor and commander very much what bush- 



BOLD NAVIGATION. 297 

wliacking and guerilla figliting is to a brave and able 
commander on shore. 

In command of a fine vessel, witli a noble crew under 
him, and out on the open sea, Winslow lacked nothing 
to comj^lete his happiness but to meet a rebel cruiser, 
his equal in size and armament, in a fair sea-fight. 

The rebel vessel Florida, having been heard of oS* 
the coast of South America, he was sent in search of 
her. 

Subsequently, he cruised in the channels ofi^ the coast 
of England and France. Here he was constantly kept 
in hot water by the French and English Governments, 
which complained of his violations of the neutrality 
laws. The French, petulant and complaining, ordered 
the French pilots not to serve him, and he had to 
become his own pilot, which, fortunately, he was per- 
fectly able to be, showing these gentlemen that he knew 
the waters that washed their coast quite as well as they 
did. Finding the Florida in Brest, and about to sail, he 
blockaded the port, and, though it was midwinter, the 
stormiest season of the year, he boldly carried his ship 
into intricate bays, along leeshores, through races where 
the eddying currents swept at the rate of seven knots an 
hour, and where ships had never been before, with a 
skill and daring that made the French pilots stare with 
sm^prise. They could not comprehend what to them 
seemed the recklessness of the American commander, 
who, without a pilot, would undauntedly steam through 
channels along which the sea ran like a torrent, the 
breakers foaming and thundering on each side of him, 
and where a vessel had never before been known to go. 
In any commander but one who knew the ground 
thoroughly, it would have been madness; for he was 



298 COMMODORE JOim A. WINSLOW. 

more than once cauglit in these dangerous channels in 
gales that strewed the shores of England with wrecks. 

In the presence of such a bold and vigilant enemy 
the Florida dared not leave port. The duty that Wins- 
low performed was, in this cold and stormy season, a most 
trying one. Yet the crew, inspired with his own energ)' 
and enthusiasm, cheerfully seconded all his efforts. 

At length, however, he got short of provisions, and 
was reluctantly compelled to set sail for Cadiz, to obtain 
supplies. Taking advantage of his forced absence, the 
Florida slipped out of port and put to sea. Winslow, 
however, was soon back, and steamed in search of the 
fugitive. Overhauling one vessel after another only to 
find them French vessels, he was compelled at last to ac- 
knowledge that the enemy which he had watched so 
long and faithfully was beyond his reach. 

Having been foiled in his efforts to capture the Flor- 
ida, he proceeded to Calais, where he had learned that 
the rebel steamer Rappahannock was. He lay off this 
port for two long months, watching and waiting in vain 
for the rebel to put to sea. 

At length, one day on running into Ostend — a short 
trip, which would not interfere with his keeping the Rap- 
pahannock from putting to sea — a pilot in the employ of 
the rebels ran the vessel plump ashore, breaking through 
the piers. Winslow saw at once that it was done on 
purpose, and, divining the object, was roused by it into 
tenfold energy and determination. He sternly ordered 
every pilot from the ship, resolved to be his o-wn pilot, 
and, summoning all hands, went to work, and by great 
efforts hove off his ship before morning. 

The commander of the Rappahannock, who was wait- 
ing for this calamity to befall Winslow, the moment he 



THE CHALLENGE. 299 

heard of it accepted the French terms that had been 
dictated to him, and prepared to put to sea. Winslow, 
however, who was kept informed of his movements, heard 
of it, and immediately hoisted anchor, and, without wait- 
ing for some of his officers and crew who were on shore 
to come on board, steamed out of the harbor. "When the 
morning sun broke over the sea, the rebel commander, 
to his astonishment, saw his enemy once more off the 
port of Calais. He now gave it ujd, and taking every- 
thing out of the ship finally dismantled her. 

Seeing this enemy disposed of, Winslow went to Flush- 
ing to repair in dock. He had scarcely completed his 
repairs when he received a telegram stating that the Ala- 
bama had arrived in Cherbourg. This was exciting news 
— all hands were called, and the bow of the Kearsaro^e 
was quickly cleaving the waves towards Cherbourg. 
Two days after, he lay oft' the port. 

Semmes, the commander of the Alabama, when he 
was informed of the arrival of the Kearsarge, sent Wins- 
low the following challenge ; 

Confederate Steamer Alabama, ) 
Cherbourg, June \iih, 1864. j 

Sir, — I hear that you were informed by the United States Consul that the 
Xearsarge was to come to this port solely for the prisoners landed by me, 
and that she was to depart in twenty- four hours. I desire you to say to the 
United States Consul that my intention is to fight the Kearsarge as soon as I 
can make the necessary arrangements. I hope these will not detain me 
more than till to-morrow evening, or next morning, at the farthest. I beg 
she will not depart before I am ready to go out. 

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

R. Semmes, Ca:taki. 

Semmes may have heard that the mission of the 
Kearsarge was the peaceful, timid one he represents, 
but we do not believe he, for one moment, credited the 



300 COMMODOEE JOHN A. WmSLOW. 

rumor. He knew perfectly well that his old friend had 
been chasing him half round the globe to get a fight out 
of him, and had heard too that he had said that, if they 
ever met, one ship or the other would go to the bottom, 
and the introduction of this pretended " hearsay " was 
meant as a taunt. Irritated at being so long chased and 
held up to the world as a pirate, and now confronted by 
his old messmate and present foe, he thought he would 
irritate in turn, by hinting that the Kearsarge would 
hasten to get out of harm's way. He knew better — he 
knew that he had got to remain a prisoner in that port, 
or sneak away clandestinely, Avhich would be a confession 
of weakness and fear, or fight. Winslow quietly waited 
for five days, perfectly willing to give the Alabama 
ample time to complete all her arrangements. 

The Sabbath morning of the 19th of June was a lovely 
one. No strong wind lashed the sea into waves, but a 
gentle breeze came drifting in from the ocean, bringing a 
slight haze, through which the summer sun shone with a 
softened radiance upon the deep. Semmes had made no 
concealment of his intended fight, nor of the time it 
would come off, and the news that it was expected to 
take place on this Sunday morning had spread over the 
surrounding country, so that an excursion train was sent 
down from Paris, loaded with passengers to witness it. 
A photographer perched himself with all his apparatus 
in a church tower that overlooked the neighboring sea, 
in order to obtain a sketch of the approaching combat. 
The port swarmed with boatmen offering their boats to 
those who wished to go out and witness it, and the quiet 
town of Cherbourg looked as if some great fete was about 
to come off. There were two, however, who did not feel 
so — Captains Semmes and Winslow. Each knew the 



PEEPARATION FOE THE COMBAT. 301 

other well — his bravery and resolution — and that the ap- 
proaching struggle would be a desperate and decisive one. 
Semmes was determined to fight his ship to the last, and 
was well aware that the proud American flag swaying 
far out to sea would never go down before his guns, ex- 
'cept it went to the bottom. The night before, he had told 
M. Bonfils, the agent of the Confederate government in 
port, that he was a Roman Catholic, and, as he would not 
be able to attend divine service the next day, requested 
him to attend mass and have it offered up for him. He 
did so, but the prayers, it seems, were unanswered. 

Winslow was equally serious, for, notwithstanding his 
confidence in his ship, the crew, and himself, he knew 
how often the fate of a battle turns on a chance shot. 
His life, his reputation, and the honor of his flag, he was 
well aware, were in jeopardy, and were all to be cast at 
once on the doubtful issue of an even-handed fight. Of 
only one thing he was certain, that, ere that Sabbath sun 
touched the western waves, his fame would be secure, his 
flag victorious, and the scourge of the ocean no more, 
or he and his good ship would be lying together on the 
bottom of the deep. But quietly making all his prepa- 
rations, he seriously committed himself and the flag of 
his country to Him who lifts up or casts do^vn, accord- 
ing to His sovereign pleasure. The Alabama bore the 
motto, "Aidetoi et Dieu faidera," " Help yourself and 
God will help you." 

Semmes, in his plundering career, had accumulated 
sixty chronometers, which he took the precaution to send 
ashore, that they might be saved in case of disaster to his 
ship. 

Spectators, in the mean time, crowded every spot that 
commanded a view of the neighboring sea, and the most 



302 COMMODOEE JOHN A. WINSLOW. 

intense excitement prevailed among the vast throng. 
A little after nine, as the church bells were ringing, call- 
ing people to the house of prayer, the Alabama cast loose, 
and besran to steam out of the harbor. As the o-raceful 
vessel slowly drifted past the mole, black with the eager 
crowd, a mighty shout rent the air, and " God speed 
you !" rolled over the quiet waters of the bay. For a re- 
sponse, came back the stern roll of drums beating to quar- 
ters. About ten o'clock, Winslow, through his glass, saw 
the head of the steamer coming round the end of the 
mole, some three miles distant, and immediately beat to 
quarters. The French steamer Couronne accompanied the 
Alabama, till she reached the limits of French waters, 
and then steamed back without waiting to witness the 
combat. The English yacht Deerhound also followed 
after — the owner of which, having received a telegraph at 
Caen, informing him of the expected fight, had has- 
tened down with his wife and family to witness it. 
Determined to be a close spectator, at the risk of receiving 
a random shot, he kept on after the Couronne had turned 
back. By a singular coincidence this yacht was built by 
the famous, or rather infamous, house of Laird & Co., 
that had also built the Alabama, with which the rebels 
had driven our commerce from the ocean. She was now 
to witness what the handiwork of these rebel sympathiz- 
ers would do. 

"Winslow, as soon as he descried his antagonist ap- 
proaching, turned his vessel and steamed slowly seaward, 
for the double purpose of avoiding the question of juris- 
diction, and to have the battle take place so far from 
shore that his adversary, if crippled, could not take 
refiige in port, before he had time to finish him. The 
Alabama followed after, and for aw^hile it looked from 



ii''''' !?i;P' ' 



m 




THE COMBAT. 303 

shore like a cliase, rather than a fight. But when 
Winslow had got about seven miles out, he turned short 
about, and, putting on steam, steered straight for his 
enemy, intending to run him down. Semmes, discover- 
ing his design, slowed his engines and sheered off, thus 
presenting his starboard battery to the Kearsarge. The 
latter was now about a mile off and was moving steadily 
ahead, when there suddenly came sharp puffs of smoke 
from the side of the Alabama, followed by the deep 
thimder of her guns rolling over the tranquil sea. The 
shot and shell flew over the Kearsarge, cutting up her 
rigging, but effecting no serious damage. Like the gal- 
lant Hull, in the first sea-fight of the war of 1812, 
Winslow made no reply, but sternly ordered the en- 
gineer to put on more steam, and the noble steamer the 
next moment was dashins; the foam from her bows, as 
she pressed forward for a death grapple. In two min- 
utes came another broadside, and then another, yet not 
a gun replied. Silently and sternly Winslow kept on 
his way, but, as he approached, bows on, he saw that he 
was in danger of being raked, and therefore, when about a 
half a mile distant, he sheered, so as to bring his own 
broadside to bear, and fired his first gun. The crashing 
shot and bursting shell, that made the rebel ship trem- 
ble, showed Semmes that his adversary intended to 
throw away no shot in this deadly encounter. Wheel- 
ing, Winslow again pressed on under a full head of 
steam, in order to get in close range, but soon sheered 
and poured in another broadside. In about ten minutes, 
the spanker gaff of the Alabama and the ensign came 
down on a run. These were immediately replaced, and 
the fight went on. The two vessels were now steaming 
at the rate of seven or eight miles an hour — and every 



304 COMMODOEE JOHE A. WINSLOW. 

few minutes sheering, so as to bring their broadsides to 
bear, they were forced to fight in circles, swinging 
steadily around an ever changing centre. The firing, 
when within a quarter of a mile of each other, was 
raj)id and terrible. Two guns of the Kearsarge, carrying 
eleven-inch shells, did fearful damage, making great 
gaps in the hull of the enemy. The former, in the mean 
time, received but little injury from the wild filing of 
her antagonist. But, about twenty minutes after the 
conflict began, a sixty-pound Blakely shell passed through 
her bulwarks, and, bursting with a terrific explosion on 
the quarter-deck, wounded three of the crew of the 
pivot-gun. One of them was named William Gowin, 
who, though pale and suffering acutely, was can-ied to 
the surgeon with a smile on his face : " It is all right," 
said the brave fellow, " we are whipping the Alabama. 
I willingly lose my leg or life, if necessary ; " and, as 
the heavy broadsides shook the deck, he would comfort 
his two wounded comrades by telling them that " victo- 
ry was certain." And as ever and anon the cheers of 
the crew were borne to his ears, when they saw the 
shell and shot planted in a vital part of the Alabama, 
he would wave his hand over his head, and give a faint 
cheer in reply. A true hero to the last, when the battle 
was over, and he found himself dying, he exclaimed, 
" I am willing to die, for we have won a glorious vic- 
tory ! " With a crew composed of such men, a com- 
mander can never suffer defeat. 

The difference between the firing of the two vessels 
was very marked. The Alabama fii-ed rapidly — almost 
two guns to the Kearsarge's one — but very wild. Now 
a shot would enter the starboard gangway, a shell here, 
and another there, cut away planking, or crash through 



A LUDICEOUS INCIDENT. 305 

the engioe house, while the rigging seemed alive with 
the hissing, exploding missiles, yet none of them doing 
but little damage. Winslow, on the contrary, fought 
his ship as coolly as though engaged in mere practice. 
To the different officers he said, " Don't let the men fire 
too rapidly. Point the heavy guns below rather tlian 
above the water-line, and sweep the decks with the 
lighter ones." It is astonishing to see how the character 
and bearing of a commander affect the conduct of the 
crew. Receiving their inspiration from him, the gunners 
pointed their pieces with the coolness and precision they 
would have done if firing at a target, the only evi- 
dence of excitement being the cheers that rose over the 
thunder of the guns, as they saw a huge gap open in 
the side of the Alabama, where an eleven-inch shell 
entered at her water-line. Besides her regular armament, 
the Kearsarge had a twelve-pound howitzer, which was 
wholly useless in the fight, unless the vessels came to 
such close quarters that grape could be used. This 
piece was put in charge of two old quartermasters, " the 
two Dromios " of the ship, as they were laughingly 
called, with orders not to fire until directed to do so. 
The jolly old salts, however, had no intention of remain- 
iug idle, while their messmates were having, as they 
said, " all the fun." So when the combat thickened, and 
the enemy's shells and shot came bursting and tumbling 
about their ears, they forgot their orders, and loaded 
and fired their howitzer, as though the battle rested 
solely on their exertions. They knew perfectly well that 
it was a mere waste of ammunition, yet they greeted 
each discharge with a loud cheer, and between the shots 
would curse and swear at each other, for not making 
better hits, in the most approved man-of-war style. 



306 COMMODORE JOHN A. WLNSLOW. 

This droll exhibition drew peals of laughter from the 
crew, that sounded strangely amid the din and uproar 
of the awful cannonade that shook the deep. The 
officers saw at a glance in what excellent condition for 
cool, effective fighting, this jolly humor kept the men, 
and, amused themselves at the ludicrous picture which 
these old privileged favorites of the ship j)resented, did 
not interfere, and let them fire on until theii' entire box 
of ammunition was exhausted. 

On the Alabama, a very different scene presented 
itself. Stripped to their shirts and drawers, the heated 
gunners worked their pieces with desperate energy ; for 
the ripping planks and shuddering hull, and splintered 
masts, and bloody decks, told them that this mode of 
fighting could not last long. One shot alone disabled 
a gun, and killed and wounded eighteen men. Another 
exploded in the coal bunks, comj)letely blocking up the 
engine-room, while, on every side the ship seemed to be 
incessantly struck with Titanic sledge-hammers. Thus 
round and round in their fiery, cloudy circles, the well- 
matched steamers swept — the Kearsarge edging nearer 
and nearer as she moved on her pathway of flame, 
Winslow straining eveiy nerve to get to closer quarters, 
where he could sweep the decks of his adversary with 
grape. At the seventh rotation, as the American com- 
mander was just getting warmed to his work, or rather 
when, as he said, he " sii])posed the action for hot work 
had just commenced^'' he saw the Alabama set her fore 
trysail and two jibs, and turn her head towards the 
shore. He knew at once that it was all up with her, 
for she limped heavily on her way, and, steaming after 
her, poured in shot and shell with such destructive 
power, that in a few moments the rebel flag came down, 



THE VICTOEY. 307 

and a white flag was run up. He at once ordered the 
firing to cease. But, in less tlian two minutes, tlie enemy 
opened again with two guns, when the Kearsarge sudden- 
ly belched forth flames, and, steaming grandly ahead, was 
laid across her adversary's bows, for raking, just as the 
white flag was a second time run up. 

In a few moments, boats were seen lowering into the 
water, and an officer in one of them rowed quickly along- 
side, saying that the ship had surrendered and was sink- 
ing, and that with Winslow's permission he would return 
and bring oflf the prisoners. 

But scarcely twenty minutes passed, when the Ala- 
bama threw her bows high out of the water, like some 
huo;e drownino' animal makins; a last strugo-le for life — 
the mainmast, which had been half cut in two by a shot, 
breaking off in the effort — and then with one heavy lurch 
went to the bottom, with all her armament and a part 
of her crew, leaving only the swirling waters to tell 
where she had gone down. Amid the eddying waves 
that clashed above her descending form, a crowd of 
human heads were seen struggling for life. Winslow 
immediately ordered the only two boats he had left, to be 
lowered, and hasten to the rescue of the drowning men. 
Observing the yacht Deerhound steaming towards the 
scene of disaster, he called out, "For God's sake, do what 
you can to save them!" She immediately began to pick up 
the swimmers, and soon the boats of the Kearsarge were 
on the spot engaged in the same humane work, Semmes, 
nearly exhausted, was picked up by the Deerhound. The 
moment he was on board, he beo-sfed not to be delivered 
up to Winslow, and was placed in the bottom of the boat 
and covered with hammock cloths. As soon as she had 
got her load, the Deerhound steamed rapidly away for 



308 COMMODOEE JOHN A. WINSLOW. 

the Eno-lish coast. Mr. Lancaster knew that in doino; 
this he was carrying off our prisoners, and had Winslow 
anticipated such faithlessness, or want of honor, he would 
have brought the Englishman to with a shot. 

Captain Semmes, in his report, written while smart- 
ing under his defeat, said, " The enemy fired on me five 
times after my colors had been struck. It is charitable 
to suppose that a ship-of-war of a Christian nation could 
not have done this intentionally." Why, then, does he 
mention it at all, or in a way that clearly shows that he 
wants the reader believe it was done on purpose ? A 
man of any sagacity would have left this out, for he 
wt)uld have known that so preposterous a supposition 
would not be believed by any one, and would damage 
nobody but himself. 

The disparity of loss in this engagement was very 
remarkable — the Kearsarge, though receiving twice as 
many shots as she gave, had only three killed and 
wounded in all, while, according to Semmes' own report, 
his loss was thirty, or ten times as great as that of his 
adversary. If the same proportion had been preserved, 
under an equal number of shots, the loss would have 
been as one to about twenty. 

This naval engagement, which lasted only a little 
over an hour, and resulted in such a triumphant victory, 
created a most profound sensation in Europe, and the 
English papers discussed it in a manner and spirit that 
at this time only provokes a smile of derision. One 
said that the Alabama, having just returned from a long 
voyage, was not in a condition to fight — forgetting that 
this reflected quite as severely on Semmes as his defeat, 
for he was not compelled to fight till he was prepared. 
He could have staid in Cherbourg a month, if he 



ENGLISH VIEWS. 309 

liked, or until he was in a condition to go to sea. An 
officer wlio knowingly and unnecessarily takes his ship 
into action, when she is not in a seaworthy condition, is 
not fit to command one. 

Another, apparently seeing the dilemma in which 
this placed the rebel commander, said that it was 
probable that Semmes knew that his ship was not 
only in a dilapidated condition, but that she was too 
far gone ever to be rendered fit for service again, and, 
in the true spirit of chivalry, resolved to give her a 
glorious death, and so go out and sink her alongside 
with her colors flying. This is a worse explanation than 
the other, for it makes Semmes a barbarian. Rather 
than his ship should rot in the port of Cherbourg, he 
would destroy all that gallant crew which had followed 
him so long. Besides, the ship did not go down with 
her colors flying, but with the white flag of surrender 
alone fluttering in the breeze. But the great exj^lana- 
tion of the defeat was the disparity between the two 
vessels. It was affirmed, without the least knowledge of 
the facts, that the Kearsarge was the heavier vessel, 
with heavier armament, and a larger crew. This was 
the stereotyped excuse offered by Englishmen for those 
astounding victories in almost every single-handed sea- 
fight that occurred between the national vessels in the 
war of 1812. 

Although this attempt to pluck away Winslow's 
w^ell-earned laurels, was owing in some measure to the 
sympathy generally felt in England towards the South, 
it is, doubtless, mainly to be attributed to the fact that 
the Alabama was an English ship, armed with English 
guns, and fought by an English crew, so that they 
felt it was a combat between an Engjlish and Ameri 



310 COMMODOEE JOHN A. WINSLOW. 

can sliip-of-war. It was this tliat made them feel so sore. 
If the Alabama had been victorious, it would have been 
claimed really as an English victory. But, unfortunate- 
ly, the English vessel having gone to the bottom, there 
was nothing left them but the old absurd cry of an 
unequal fight. 

Again, Semmes and his English friends endeavored 
to lessen the victory, by saying that the Kearsarge 
was iron-plated, the former asserting that he did not 
know, till the action was over, that she was iron-clad. 
Now, this iron-plating was simply some spare chain- 
cable, hung over the vessel amidships, and boxed over 
with planking. Its main object was to protect the 
engines, as the Kearsarge was lightly loaded with coal, 
while the Alabama was so deeply loaded, that her en- 
gines were protected without it. This, doubtless, is the 
reason Semmes did not resort to the same expedient, for 
it had become a custom among all vessels to do so, ever 
since Farragut had set the example at New Orleans. 

Semmes exhibits his own character in a painful light 
in his report, which abounds in transparent falsehood, 
either direct or implied. He was perfectly aware of the 
existence of these chains, for he said, some days previous 
to the fight, " that they were only attached together with 
rope-yarn, and would drop into the water with the first 
shot." If these chains were really of such vast service, 
and he neglected to put them on his own ship, it would 
have been much better for his reputation had he said 
nothing about it. 

The following^ fissures show how much reliance can 
be placed on Captain Semmes' statements. He says, "The 
enemy was heavier than myself, both in ship, battery 
and crew : " 



THE TWO SHIPS COJIPAEED. 311 





Alabama 


Kearsacgb. 


Length over all, 


220 feet. 


214i feet. 


Length in water-line, 


210 « 


198i " 


Beam, 


32 " 


33 " 


Depth, 


17 " 


16 " 



Horse-power — two engines, 300 each. 400 

Tonnage, 1150 1031 

Thus, it will be seen tliat the Alabama was the 
longest vessel, deepest vessel, possessing greater engine 
power, and the heaviest vessel. Besides, she had one 
more gun than the Kearsarge, although the latter, by 
her large guns, threw the heaviest broadside. But, 
during the engagement, the Kearsarge fought only. five 
guns, while the Alabama fought seven. The latter 
also fired nearly double the number of shots that the 
former did. Hence, so far as the amount of metal 
thrown, the Alabama had clearly the best of it. It 
is true the Kearsarge had one great advantage, which 
we cheerfully concede: she carried American guns, 
chiefly Dahlgrens, while the Alabama's armament was 
wholly English. Thus much as to Semmes' statement 
that the Kearsarge was heavier both in ship and battery. 

We will now examine the captain's statement that 
his antagonist outnumbered him in the crew. It is a 
matter of small moment, however, in an engagement like 
this, which was fought by shot and shell alone ; for in 
such an encounter, any more men than are necessary to 
work the guns and handle the ship, are in the way. It 
is only in boarding, or close quarters, where the numeri- 
cal superiority of the crew gives any advantage. 

But be that as it may, the Kearsarge's vast superi- 
ority in crew consisted of just sixteen men. Winslow 
reports his crew, including officers and sick, one hundred 
and sixty-three. Many of the English papers made the 



312 COMMODOEE JOHN A. WINSLOW. 

crew of tlie Alabama to consist of only about one hun- 
dred persons. Mr. Mason, Confederate representative 
in London, declared, over Ms own signature, that it 
numbered just one hundred and twenty. But three 
days after, the Liverpool Mercury published a complete 
list of the crew of the Alabama, giving the names of 
all, except those picked up by the Deerhound, and this 
list sums up one hundred and three. Now, the latter 
picked up forty-four, thus making in all one hundred and 
forty-seven against one hundred and sixty-three. The 
simj^le truth is, that there never was, and probably 
never will be, a naval duel between two vessels more 
equally matched than these. The secret of success lay 
here, as it did in the sins-le-handed fio^hts between British 
and American frigates in the war of 1812, not in supe- 
rior bravery, or seamanship, or vessels, but in superior 
gunnery. Dahlgren's guns here vindicated themselves. 

The Constitution was ready to go again into action 
in a few hours after the Guerriere went to the bottom — 
so, subsequently, every spar was standing in her, while 
the Java lay a helpless wi'eck on the ocean. So now, 
the Kearsarge had hardly begun to fight, when the 
Alabama went down with all her dead on board. 

A great deal of noise was made over Semmes' chival- 
rous character, because he threw his sword into the sea, 
rather than surrender it to his enemy — on which the 
London News sarcastically remarks, " he had better 
thrown over his truin])et with the sword." 

The conduct of Mr. Lancaster, owner of the yacht, 
met with universal condemnation on both sides of 
the water. Urged by Winslow to hel23 those who he 
knew had surrendered themselves prisoners of war, he 
no sooner got Caj)tain Semmes and some forty more 



ENGLISH HONOE. 313 

aboard his vessel, than he steamed away, at the rate of 
thirteen knots an hour, for Southampton. He dared 
not return to Cherbourg, for he knew he was acting 
the part of a thief, and so made haste to get into an 
English port. So hard was he scourged for his dis- 
honorable conduct, that he found it necessary to publish 
a defence, which only made the matter worse. He says, 
" Ca|)tain Winslow's request to help save the crew was 
not accompanied with any stij)ulation, to the eifect that 
I should deliver up the rescued men to him as prisoners. 
If it had been, I should have declined the task, because 
I should have deemed it dishonorable — that is, inconsis- 
tent with my notions of honor — to lend my yacht and 
crew, for the purpose of rescuing those brave men from 
drowning, only to hand them over to their enemies for 
imprisonment, ill treatment, and perhaps execution." 

What a confession is this for a member of the Koyal 
Yacht Squadron to make ? Because Winslow made no 
stipulation that he should deliver up to him men who had 
surrendered and were prisoners of war, and hence just as 
much his, by the laws of nations and the laws of honor, 
as though they were on board his vessel, he therefore felt 
justified in running away with them ! That is, if Wins- 
low saw a large amount of his own property floating 
about, and in danger of being lost, and should ask Mr. 
Lancaster to help him save it, the latter, after picking 
up a good boat-load, would run away with it, because 
the request to save it was not accompanied with a stipu- 
lation that he should return it to the lawful owner ! 

One hardly knows which to admire most in this 
barefaced statement — its morals or its logic. Again he 
says: "I should have deemed it inconsistent with my 
notions of honor to lend my yacht and crew for the pur- 



314 COMMODOEE JOHN A. WINSLOW. 

pose of rescuing those brave men from drowning, &c." 
His sense of honor would have forced him to look stolid- 
ly on and see those men drown, rather than save them, 
if they were to be held as prisoners. This certainly is 
a most extraordinary exhibition of honor, and exists no- 
where, we apprehend, excej)t in the British Isles. One 
would think that a proper feeling of honor, not to say 
of humanity, would prompt a man to consult the men 
struggling for life, to know whether they preferred to go to 
the bottom, or be saved as prisoners. They had already 
taken their choice, and surrendered rather than sink with 
tbe ship, and now asked to be saved. But this English- 
man, with his notions of honor, thinks that they did not 
know what was best for themselves, and rather than 
save them on the very terms they had accepted, he would 
have allowed them to drown. 

One can imagine this pompous Englishman moving 
off with his yacht, while the halfdrowning crew is 
despairingly calling on him to save them, with the 
reply : " Captain Winslow has ordered me to give you 
up as prisoners, and it is inconsistent with my sense of 
honor to save you on those terms — and you had better 
go to the bottom." 

If Captain Winslow had dreamed how little sense of 
honor the man possessed, he would have wakened him up 
to the sense of it with shot and shell, in a manner that 
would have taught him better logic and better manners. 

We venture to say that it will be the last time a 
vessel of the Koyal Yacht Squadron will be a close 
spectator of a naval engagement in which one of the 
combatants is an American ship of war. 

Captain Winslow received the following highly com- 
plimentary letter from the Secretary of the Navy, who did 



A COMPLIMENT AKY LETTEE. 315 

not attempt to conceal his great delight at the summary 
destruction of this vessel, which almost alone had driven 
our commerce from the seas. 

" Navy Department, July 6, 1863. 

" Sir ; — Tour brief despatches of the 19th and 20th ultimo, informing the 
Department that the piratical craft Alabama, or " 290," had been sunk, on 
the 19th of June, near meridian, by the Kearsarge, under your command, waa 
this day received. I coogratulate you on your good fortune in meeting this 
vessel, which had so long avoided the fastest ships, and some of the most 
vigilant and intelligent officers of the service, and, for the ability displayed 
in this combat, you have the thanks of the Department. 

" You will express to the officers and crew of the Kearsarge, the satisfac- 
tion of the Government at the victory over a vessel, superior in tonnage, 
superior in number of gnns, and superior in the number of her crew. The 
battle was so brief, the victory so decisive, and the comparative results so 
striking, that the country will be reminded of the brilliant actions of our 
infant Navy, which have been repeated and illustrated in this engagement, 

"The Alabama represented the best maritime efforts of the most skilful 
English workshops. Iler battery was composed of the well-tried thirty-two 
pounders, of fifty-seven hundred weight, of the famous 68-pounder of the 
British Navy, and of the only successful rifled lOO-pounder yet produced in 
Eugland. The crew were generally recruited in Great Britain, and many of 
them received superior training on board her majesty's gunnery ship, the 
Excellent. 

" The Kearsarge is one of the first gunboats built at our Navy Yards, at 
the commencement of the rebellion, and lacks the improvements of vessels 
now under construction. The principal guns composing her battery had 
never been previously tried in an exclusively naval engagement, yet, in one 
hour you succeeded in sinking your antagonist, thus fully ending her preda- 
tory career, and killed many of her crew, without injury to the Kearsarge, 
or the loss of a single life on your vessel. Our countrymen have reason to 
be satisfied, that in this as in every naval action of this unhappy war, 
neither the ships, the guns, nor the crews, have been deteriorated, but that 
they maintain the abilities and continue the renown which ever adorned our 
naval annals. 

"The President has signified his intention to recommend that you 
receive a vote of thanks, in order that you may be advanced to the grade of 
Commodore. Lieutenant Commander James S. Thornton, the executive 
officer of the Kearsarge, will be recommended to the Senate for advancement 
ten numbers in his grade, and you will report to the Department the names 



316 COMMODOEE JOHN A. WINSLOW. 

of any others of the officers and crew, whose good conduct on tliis occasion 
entitle them to especial mention. 

Very respectfully, 

GIDEON WELLES, 

Secretary of the Navy. 
"Captaix John A. "Winslow, 

Comd''g. V. S. Steamer Kearsarge, CJteriourg, France.''' 

But if the Government was delighted and Europe ex- 
cited over the result of this naval conflict, the people of 
this country were filled with unbounded enthusiasm. 
This vessel had seemed as ubiquitous as the Flying 
Dutchman — so erratic were her movements, and rapid 
her transitions, that the most experienced officers that 
were sent in pursuit of her invariably returned baffled. 
The swiftest steamers scoured the ocean in search of her, 
but always failed to find her. Yet she did not hide away 
in obscure places, but boldly stood along the track of our 
commerce, and made the ocean lurid with the flames of 
our merchantmen, which she burned because there was 
no port that dared to receive the prizes. One day she 
would be on the Atlantic seaboard — the next, lost in the 
intricate mazes of the West India Islands, and, when the 
search for her was about to be abandoned, news would 
come that she was flaunting her flag in the Indian Ocean, 
sending terror amid our vessels in that remote part of 
the world. The people were irritated, indignant, and 
mortified, that this bold rover should so put to defiance 
our fleetest steamers and best commanders. But now 
her career was ended — not by the storms of heaven, or hid- 
den sea-rocks, nor yet by being ignominiously shut up in 
a neutral harbor — but in fair, open combat had been sent 
to the bottom by a vessel inferior in size — in a fight, too, 
not forced on her by circumstances, but one of her own 



AN imJUST CENSUEE. SIT 

choosing. Her commander had sent an open challenge, 
thus inviting spectators to come and witness our defeat. 
The national feeling was satisfied, and the name of 
Winslow was mentioned with pride by every tongue. 

Yet, right on the top of this, the Secretary of the 
Navy wrote to Winslow : " I notice by the last mail from 
England that it is reported that you have parolled the 
foreign pirates, captured on board the Alabama. I trust 
you have not committed this error of judgment." And 
again : "In parolling the prisoners, however, you com- 
mitted a grave error." How did the Secretary of the 
Navy know this, for he had never yet received Winslow's 
report of his proceedings ? What right had he to censure 
a gallant officer on mere rumor ? It never occurred to 
him that this brave commander, whose whole life had 
been spent in the naval service, knew vastly better what 
was proper and right under the circumstances than he 
could who had been but three years or so in the Navy 
Department. It always has been a source of annoy- 
ance to our naval commanders that they are under the 
orders of an officer wholly ignorant of the naval profes- 
sion. A lawyer, or editor, or politician, is placed at the 
head of the navy, and, seemingly thinking that all neces- 
sary qualifications come with the office, conveys or gives 
orders or proposes measures that a naval officer would 
never think of doing. That the War and Navy Depart- 
ments of this great country should, every four years, be 
put under a new man, to whom the duties of both are 
wholly unknown, is an error that has cost us and will 
cost us in the future millions of treasure and oceans of 
blood. 

Winslow, in reply to this censure, said that his decks 
were crowded with the bedding of the wounded and pris- 



318 COMMODORE JOHIT A. WLNSLOW. 

oners under guard; moreover, the ship was damaged 
both in rigging and hull. A shot had entered the stern- 
post, raising the transom frame and binding the rudder so 
hard as to require four men at the helm. It was there- 
fore important that an examination should be made of 
the damages sustained. This, of course, could not be 
done without clearing the ship. This was the more im- 
portant, as he continued, " I received information from 
our consul, in London, that the Florida was in the chan- 
nel on the French coast, and at the same time informa- 
tion came that the Yeddo was out, and the Kappahan- 
nock was expected to follow." He had heard that the 
sea around him was alive with rebel cruisers, with no 
vessel but the Kearsarge to take care of them. "It 
therefore became," he says, " in my mind, of the utmost 
importance that the Kearsarge should at once be put in 
a state to meet these vessels and protect our commerce. 
This could not be done with prisoners on board equalling 
half of our crew, and the room occupied by the wounded, 
to the exclusion of our own men ; to have kept them 
would have required a quarter watch as guards, and the 
ship would have been wholly ineffective as a man-of- 
war to meet this emergency which threatened. Under 
these circumstances, and without an American vessel in 
port, by which arrangements could be made for tranship- 
ping the prisoners outside, I felt it my duty to parole 
them." Of course it was his duty to do so — ^not to act as 
jailor to thirty or forty men, but strip his vessel for an- 
other fight, and keep rebel cruisers from these waters. 

Commodore "Winslow has all the qualities that go 
to make up a great naval commander — a naturally strong 
mtellect, cultivated by careful training and long practical 
experience. Quiet in his manner, he is yet ca2:)able of in- 



HIS CHAEACTER. 319 

tense excitement, but which shows itself only in increased' 
energy and determination. Apparently destitute of 
fear, he is, notwithstanding, never rash. When once 
fairly roused, no obstacles can stop him, no dangers daunt 
him. Of great powers of endurance, and a courage that 
never flags, there seems no limit to his exertions. Rock-fast 
in his resolution he moves to his purpose with a firmness 
before which everything must give way. His remark 
that he was just getting ready for " warm work" when 
the Alabama surrendered, reminds one of Paul Jones, 
who, when asked if he had surrendered, replied that he 
had just begun to fight, and throws a flood of light on 
the character of the man. Without being vain, he has 
a supreme confidence in himself — a self-reliance growing- 
out of the consciousness of power. Scorning cant, trick- 
ery, and humbug, in others, he never blows his own trum- 
pet, and, instead of overestimating, underrates his own 
actions. He sees only the simple performance of duty 
where others are dazzled with the heroism of his conduct, 
and hence did not fully appreciate the enthusiasm of the 
people at his victory over the Alabama. His fame is 
secure, and his name, which in one hour he made known 
the world over, will go down to posterity on the same 
historic roll with Hull and Bainbridge, and Perry and 
McDonough, and other naval heroes of the nation. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

VICE-ADMIRAL DAVID D. PORTER. 



HIS BIETH AND EAELY EDUOATION. — ACCOMPANIES HIS FATHER TO THE WEST 
INDIES IN SEAECH OF PIKATES. — ENTERS THE MEXICAN NAVY AS MID- 
SHIPMAN. — HIS FIEST FIGHT ON THE CUBAN COAST. — IS TAKEN PEI30N- 
EE AND PLACED IN CONFINEMENT. — PAEOLLED AND EETUENS TO MEXICO. 
— EETUENS HOME. — ENTEE3 THE NAVAL SCHOOL. — MIDSHIPMAN IN THE 
•0. S. NAVT.— HIS SUBSEQUENT SEEVICES AND CEUISES. — SENT BT BUCHAN- 
AN TO HATTI TO INVESTIGATE THE CONDITION OF THE DOMINICAN EE- 
PUBLIO. — MADE FIEST LIEUTENANT ON THE SPITFIEE IN THE MEXICAN 
WAE. — AT VEEA OEUZ. — HIS GALLANT ATTACK OF TOBASCO. — AT TTJS- 
PAN. — COMMANDS THE PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP PANAMA, AND SAILS 
THEOUGH THE STEAIT3 OF MAGELLAN. — COMMANDS THE GEORGE LAW 

STEAMEE GEOEGIA, FOB THEEE TEAES. COMMANDS THE STEAMEE 

GOLDEN AGE. — EEMARKABLE VOYAGE TO AUSTRALIA. — SENT BY THE 
SECEETAEY OF WAE TO IMPOET CAMELS. — BREAKING OUT OF THE RE- 
BELLION. — SENT TO BELIEVE FOET PICKENS. — A OUEIOUS PIECE OF HIS- 
TOEY. — BLOCKADES THE MISSISSIPPI. — LONG CHASE AFTER THE PRIVATEEE 
SUMTER. — COMMANDS THE MORTAE FLEET UNDER FARRAGUT IN THE AT- 
TACK ON NEW ORLEANS. — THE BOMBARDMENT. — GOES TO PENSACOLA AND 
MOBILE. — AIDS FARRAGUT IN PASSING THE BATTERIES OF VIOKSBURG AND 
PORT HUDSON. — PUT IN COMMAND OF THE MISSISSIPPI FLEET. — OO-OPER- 
ATES WITH FARRAGUT, SHEEMAN, AND GEANT. — ARKANSAS PORT. — WHITE 
RIVER. — BATTLE OF GRAND GULF. — AIDS GRANT IN THE SIEGE OF VIOKS- 
BURG. — EXPEDITION TO THE SUNFLOWER COUNTRY. — FALL OF VICKS- 
BURG. — RECEIVES THE THANKS OF CONGRESS. — MADE ADMIRAL. — SUBSE- 
QUENT OPERATIONS ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. — THE RED RIVEE EXPE- 
DITION. — A NEW CHAPTER IN ITS HISTORY. PASSAGE OF THE FALLS NEAR 

ALEXANDRIA BY THE FLEET. — BAILEY, ENGINEER OF THE DAMS, EEWAED- 
ED BY POETEB. — RENDERS SHEEMAN VALUABLE AID IN HIS MARCH TO 
CHATTANOOGA. — VARIOUS OPERATIONS IN HIS EXTENSIVE DISTRICT 
OF COMMAND. — RETURNS NORTH TO VISIT HIS FAMILY. — PLACED OVER 




^~^. 



niS EAELY EDUCATION. 321 

THE NOETH ATLANTIC BLOCKADING SQUADRON. — THE FIKST EXPE- 
DITION AGAINST FORT FISHER. — THE BOMBARDMENT.— SECOND EXPEDI- 
TION. — THE ATTACK. — THE VICTORY. — AIDS GRANT IN HIS LAST MOVE- 
MENT AGAINST LEE. — HIS CHARACTER. — PRESENT COMMAND. 

The saying has almost passed into a proverb that 
great men seldom beget great sons. The renowned 
Commodore Porter of the war of 1812, however, is a 
notable exception, for he gave to his country two sons 
as famous as himself, David D. and William D., and 
distinguished too for the very traits of character that 
made him so remarkable. The former, in addition to 
the great qualities of his father, had the advantage also 
of being trained in his profession directly under his eye, 
where he could feel the force of his example. 

He was born June 8th, 1813, in the town of Chester, 
Delaware County, Pennsylvania. He received the first 
rudiments of education at that place, and entered Colum- 
bia College in the city of Washington, at the early age 
of eleven years. His college course, however, was a short 
one, for, in 1824, he accompanied his father. Commodore 
Porter, to the West Indies, where the latter was sent by 
the Government to break up the gang of pirates that 
infested those seas, and there imbibed his first taste for 
sea life. In 1826, Commodore Porter, at the solicitation 
of the Mexican Government, took command of the Mexi- 
can Navy, and appointed his son David a midshi]3mau 
in the service. The latter spent one year in the city of 
Mexico, learning the Spanish language, and at the end 
of that time reported himself for active service afloat. 
His father was about to sail with the Mexican fleet for 
the coast of Cuba, but it being unable to go to sea, for 
want of supplies, he fitted out several small prizes, in one 
of which, the Esmeralda, with his cousin, D. H. Porter, 

21 



322 VICE-ADSnRAL DAVID D. POETEE. 

as captain, young Porter sailed to destroy tlie Spanish 
commerce around tlie island of Cuba. After a cruise of 
sixty days, in wliicli lie liad many narrow escapes, tlie 
scliooner, laden with a cargo of sugar and coffee taken 
from thirty captured vessels, sailed for Key West. But 
the crew, consisting of twenty-nine men, mutinied while 
the vessel was on her way, and attempted to take pos- 
session of her. The captain, however, D. H. Porter, a 
powerful and determined man, cut some of them down, 
and shot several others, and finally succeeded in getting 
the remainder in irons, and, with Midshipman Porter and 
a fiiithful Swede, brought the vessel into Key West. 

In 1827, Commodore Porter returned with the Mexi- 
can fleet to Vera Cruz, and fitted out afresh for a new 
expedition, having in the first one almost destroyed the 
coast commerce of Cuba. 

Midshipman David D. Porter was detailed to the 
brig Guerrero, with his former captain, D. H. Porter. 
The Guerrero, built in New York, by Henry Eckford, 
was a fine vessel and mounted twenty guns. She sailed 
in June, 1827, for the coast of Cuba, and on sighting the 
island, the fourteenth day out, discovered a large convoy 
in shore, in charge of two brigs-of war. The Guerrero 
was immediately cleared for action, and chase given to 
the enemy. The Spaniards and their convoy ran into 
the port of " Little Mariel," fifteen miles west of Havana. 
This snug harbor was defended by shoals and a two-gim 
foi-t ; but, although the two brigs ran in and got springs 
on their cables, the Guerrero boldly followed them, and, 
anchoring outside, opened with her guns, to which the 
brigs and the fort both replied. 

The action lasted one hour and a half, in which the 
brigs were completely dismantled and cut to pieces by 



FIEST BATTLE. 323 

the Guerrero's shot. The fort still kept up a galling fire, 
and the latter had to haul out of range — the captain 
intending to go in at niglit with boats, and finish the 
combat. 

In the mean time, the heavy cannonading had been 
heard in Havana, and a large sixty-four-gun frigate, the 
Lealtad, slipped her cables and put to sea. 

The Guerrero was standing in shore to take posses- 
sion of her prizes, when the frigate hove in sight, coming 
on with a fresh breeze, while the former lay becalmed. 
The names of the two brigs were the Marte and the 
Amelia, and they were so knocked to pieces that they 
were never used again in the Spanish Navy. They 
mounted, together with the fort, six more guns than the 
Guerrero. 

The frigate finally came up with the Guerrero, and 
one of the most desj^erate and unequal battles on record 
took place between the two vessels, which ended in the 
capture of the brig, but not till she had bravely held her 
own against her huge antagonist for two hours and a 
half. The brig did not surrender until all her masts 
were shot away, and she was in a sinking condition. 
Eighty-six men were killed and wounded, out of one 
hundred and eighty in this desperate conflict. The cap- 
tain was killed, and all the officers wounded, and there 
was not a shot left in the locker to fire. 

Young Porter was badly hurt in the first fight, but 
perfoiTued the duty of captain's aid in the second battle, 
where he was also wounded. A mere lad, he had, like 
Farragut, under his father, received a bloody baptism 
into the naval service, and in his first combat learned 
how a ship should be fought. 

The vessel, after her captui'e, was towed into Havana, 



324 VICE-ADUnEAL DAVID D. POETEE. 

where tlie officers and crew were imprisoned in a filthy 
hulk, at the base of the Moro Castle, and kept in 
close confinement many months, suffering a great deal 
both in mind and body. They had the consolation, 
however, of knowing that the Spanish frigate had 
lost more men than they, and was finally dismasted at 
sea, owing to the injuries to her spars, received during 
the fight. 

Midshipman Porter, owing to his ill-health, was final- 
ly allowed to go to Vera Cruz on parole, where, finding 
no chance of getting exchanged, he returned to the 
United States. 

After going to school for a year, he obtained, in 1829, 
an appointment as Midshipman in the United States 
Navy, and sailed with Captain Alexander Wadsworth, 
in the Constellation, for the Mediterranean. 

In 1832, he joined the frigate United States, flagship 
of Commodore Patterson, and spent three years in her, 
when he returned to the United States to stand his ex- 
amination. From the time of passing his examination, 
until his promotion to lieutenant, he was employed on 
the Coast Survey. In 1840, he sailed in the frigate 
Congress to the Mediterranean and coast of Brazil. On 
his return from this cruise, he was employed at the 
Naval Observatory, under Lieutenant Maury. In 1846, 
he was sent by Mr. Buchanan, then Secretary of State, to 
the island of Hayti, the Dominican Republic, to ascertain 
the exact condition of affairs in that country. He was 
three months on the island, and during that time 
travelled nineteen hundred miles on horseback, taking 
the census of every town, and returning with much 
information usefal to the Government. 

While Lieutenant Porter was absent on this duty, 



m jrEXico. 325 

the war between tlie United States and Mexico broke 
out, and lie applied for immediate service afloat. 

He was ordered to proceed to New Orleans and raise 
men for Commodore Conner's fleet. This dutj he per- 
formed, and carried the men to Vera Ciiiz, where he was 
made First Lieutenant of the steamer Spitfire, Captain 
Tatnall. Lieutenant Porter had great difficulty in get- 
ting Commodore Conner to order him into service, the 
latter not liking his full whiskers, which the lieutenant 
declined to part with, never having shaved more than 
once or twice in his life. 

Lieutenant Porter was with Tatnall, as First Lieu- 
tenant of the Spitfire, when the latter attacked the Castle 
of San Juan de Ulloa, and the town batteries. 

A few days after, the Spitfire attacked the bat- 
teries again, and did material service to the army, by 
withdrawing the Mexican fire from our batteries on 
shore. 

No vessel performed more active service than the 
Spitfire while Lieutenant Porter was in her. When Com- 
modore Perry moved on Tobasco, the Mexicans barri- 
caded the river, and so it was determined to land the 
troops, or sailors, eighteen hundred in all, and attack the 
city by land. But the Spitfire, disregarding the obstruc- 
tions, made a dash through them, and pushed on up the 
river, in advance of the landing party, amid the hearty 
cheers of all. 

Eight miles up, the vessel encountered a heavy fort, 
commanding the river. It mounted eight large guns, 
while the Spitfire had only one heavy gun (8-inch), 
and two thirty-two-pounders. 

The first shot from the fort cut the Spitfire's wheel 
in two, but the little steamer sped on, firing rapidly, and 



326 VICE-ADIMIEAL DAVID D. POETEE. 

gained the rear of tlie battery, wliere, letting go lier 
anchor, she soon cleared the works. 

Lieutenant Porter, under the fire of the steamer'^ 
guns, boarded the fort with sixty -five men, and candied 
it with a shout. 

The landing party arrived four hours afterwards, and 
found the town and batteries of Tobasco in possession of 
the Spitfire, and the Scoi'pion, a steamer commanded by 
Captain Bigelow, which vessel came up behind the former. 

Lieutenant Sidney Smith Lee, who commanded the 
Spitfire, being ordered to the steamer Mississippi, Lieu- 
tenant Porter was given the command of her, which he 
retained while the American forces held Tobasco, and 
until ill-health obliged him to go home after the fall of 
Vera Cruz. 

He was engaged in every operation that took place 
during the Mexican war, and was first lieutenant of the 
steamer Spitfire, the leading vessel when our little fleet 
of steamers fought their way up Tuspan River and cap- 
tured that place. 

On his return to the United States, he was again 
ordered to the Coast Survey, but, having been ofiered 
the command of the Pacific Mail Company's steamer 
Panama, he took charge of her and sailed for the Pacific, 
through the Straits of Magellan. He left the steamer at 
Panama, after a most successful voyage, and returned to 
the United States, when he was placed in command of 
George Law's steamer, the Georgia, which vessel he suc- 
cessfully commanded for three years, without an accident 
of any kind. Having got into a difficulty with the 
Spanish authorities at Havana, in which he made them 
respect the American flag, he left the service of the com- 
pany by which he was employed, and took command of 



A CURIOUS PIECE OF HISTOEY. 327 

the steamer Golden Age, belonging to the Australian 
Steamship Company. 

Proceeding to England, lie made a successfiil voyage 
thence to Australia in fifty-six days, thirty days quicker 
than it had ever been made before. 

He ran the Golden Age six months on the Australian 
coast, and then crossed the Pacific with a load of English 
passengers, and arrived safely at Panama. 

Having taken the Chagres fever, he was obliged to 
return home, and it was many months before he re- 
gained his health. The Secretary of War, Jefterson 
Davis, then selected him to go abroad to import camels. 
He performed this duty successfully, bringing over two 
loads, eighty-four in all, and then (1859) was ordered 
to the Portsmouth (N. H.) Navy Yard. 

Just before the breaking out of the war of the rebel- 
lion. Lieutenant Porter was directed to bring the old 
frigate Constitution to Annapolis. This being done, he 
was about to proceed to California, to take charge of the 
Coast Survey vessels there, when the Southern States 
seceded. Sumter was now threatened by the rebels, who 
had seized upon many of our best forts. Fort Pickens 
was also in great danger, although gallantly defended by 
Lieutenant Slemmer of the artillery. 

And here occurs one of the most curious pieces of 
history that has ever seen the light. It really reflects 
on no department of the Government, but it illustrates 
the total confusion into which everything was thrown at 
the commencement of the rebellion : 

It may be recollected that Mr. JFox, Assistant Sec- 
retary of the Navy, identified himself with an expedition 
that was fitted out by the Government and some mer- 
chants in New York, to throw supplies into Sumter. 



328 VICE-ADMIRAL DAVID D. POETEE. 

The expedition was badly planned and worse executed, 
and it was necessary to lay the blame on some one. Mr. 
Seward came in for the greatest share, when in fact he 
had nothing whatever to do with it. 

While at dinner, on the very day Porter was to have 
started for California, he received a letter from Captain 
(now General) Meigs, asking him to call on Mr. Seward, 
who wished to see him. He did so without delay, and, 
after some preliminary conversation, Mr. Seward asked 
him if he thought it possible to get a ship into the harbor 
of Pensacola and reinforce Fort Pickens, and thus pre- 
vent the rebels from making use of the most important 
harbor on the Atlantic. He replied that there was no 
difficulty about the matter, provided he could have his 
own way. He then unfolded his plan, when Mr. Seward 
took him to see Mr. Lincoln, with whom he discussed 
the whole matter thoroughly. His plan was, for the 
President to give him authority to proceed to New York 
and take command of the Powhatan, then lying partly 
dismantled at the Navy Yard ; also to invest him with 
power to give such orders in the Navy Yard as he deemed 
proper — in fact, placing for the time being the officer in 
command there under his directions. This was perhaps 
a high-handed measure — going over the head of the Sec- 
retary of the Navy, and fitting out a ship without his 
authority or cognizance. Still, it was the only way to 
accomplish the object. Secretary Welles was new in the 
office, and had no knowledge of the men about him. 
Half of them were traitors ; and had a single individual 
in the Department known that such an expedition was 
fittino; out. it would have been flashed alono- the wires in 
a very short time, and Bragg, the rebel commander at 
Pensacola, would at once have overpowered Lieutenant 



OEDEE OF THE PEESIDENT. 329 

Slemmer with his handful of men, and taken possession 
of the fort. 

The President, after carefully weighing all the circum- 
stances of the case, and listening to all the arguments 
offered him, finally took the responsibility, and wrote an 
order directing him to proceed to New York without 
delay, and take command of the "Powhatan," or any 
other vessel that he deemed necessary for his purpose. 
The Commandant of the Navy Yard and the naval 
officers were directed to give him all the aid and facilities 
he desired, to enable him to get the vessel to sea with the 
least possible delay. In conclusion, the President said, 
"You will not show these orders to any naval command- 
ing officer superior in rank to yourself, unless there is 
danger of your being interfered with. "When inside of 
the harbor, you will call upon the senior naval officer at 
Pensacola for such remforcements as you may deem suffi- 
cient to hold the place." 

Other orders were also issued, one to the commander 
of the Powhatan, Captain Mercer, ordering him to give 
up his vessel, and one to the commandant of the yard 
at New York, ordering him to give him secret despatch, 
&c., &c. Armed with these extraordinary orders, he 
hastened at once to New York. 

In the mean time. Captain Meigs, who was the 
originator of the scheme to relieve Fort Pickens, also 
proceeded to New York and chartered one of the Atlan- 
tic steamers, which he prepared for sea without delay, to 
carry two thousand regulars. Under the guns of the 
Powhatan these were to be thrown into Fort Pickens, to 
reinforce Lieutenant Slemmer. 

When Porter reached New York, he found the Pow 
hatan had just been put out of commission, her crew 



330 VICE-ADMIRAL DAVID D. POETER. 

sent to tlie receiving-sliip, and all her officers detaclied. 
Her sails were unbent, her machinery all apart, her 
powder and gun-gear on shore, and her coal-bunkers 
empty. A survey had been held on her, her boilers and 
hull liad been condemned, and she was to go in dock for 
repairs, when Porter presented his orders to Commodore 
Foote, who then commanded the Yard. The latter was 
quite taken aback at the unusual, extraordinary proceed- 
ing, and Porter had very great difficulty in getting him 
to pay that attention to them which they demanded. 
Foote considered it impossible to send the vessel to sea, 
she was so unseaworthy, and her boilers were actually 
dangerous, while her rigging was all rotten, and her 
boats would not float. However, there was no other 
vessel, and Porter, with that determination which charac- 
terizes him, shoved the President's orders at Foote so 
hard, and insisted so pertinaciously on a compliance with 
them, that the latter finally had to give in, and went to 
work with a will to get the ship ready for sea. She 
was, without question, in a horrible condition, but there 
was no remedy, and she had to go. For six days and 
nights. Porter sat in Commodore Foote's office, directing 
the different operations, and urging on the work. Foote, 
in the mean time, telegraphed for the officers the former 
wanted to go with him. Captain Mercer, who was let into 
the secret, took charge of the vessel for the time being, and 
made it appear that he was going out in her, and it was 
rumored that she was getting ready to carry a Minister 
to Mexico. In fact. Porter's boxes and trunks, labelled 
as the property of the Minister to Mexico, were sent on 
board in open day, no one suspecting even that he 
was going out in the ship, or had any connection with 
her. 



BOLD ACTION. 331 

On tlie sixtli day after conunencing to fit lier out 
(working night and day, including Sunday,) tlie vessel 
was ready to sail. But just as Porter was about going 
on board, an order came from tlie Navy Department to 
^'■fit the Powhatan for sea with all despatch^ and report 
her when ready to proceedy Here was a dilemma. The 
Secretary evidently knew nothing of what was going 
on, and to give up the ship would be to imperil the 
whole expedition, for Captain Meigs depended on the 
guns of the Powhatan to cover his landing. Besides, 
the vessel had a large part of the artillery and ammuni- 
tion belonging to the troops, on board. 

On receiving the Secretary's order, Commodore Foote 
sent for Captain Mercer, and showed it to him, but he 
agreed with Porter that the order of the President was 
paramount to all others, and it was decided that the ship 
should proceed on her destined mission. Porter at the 
time supposed that the order of the Secretary was given 
as a matter of form, and that he had been made ac- 
quainted with the whole affair. 

In half an hour after this, he stepped on board the 
ship, as if to bid the captain good-by, and in the con- 
fusion was unnoticed. He remained in the cabin until 
the Powhatan reached Staten Island, where the captain 
(Mercer) left her to go on shore. But just as they were 
hoisting the boat on board, and about to proceed, a swift 
steamer came puffing alongside with an officer on board, 
who delivered Porter the following despatch : 

" Give up tlie Poichatan to Captain Mercer. {Signed,) Sewaed." 

But Porter still held grimly to the President's order; 
no other order, he said, could take precedence of that. It 



332 VICE-ADMIEAL DAVID D. PORTER. 

was no time to stand on trifles, tlie country was in dan 
ger, and, if lie gave up tlie sMp, tlie expedition would 
have to be abandoned, and Caj^tain Meigs, who had 
sailed just ahead, would go on a bootless mission. It 
took but a moment for Porter to decide, and he tele- 
graphed back : " My orders were from the President, and 
I must look to him to support me," explaining at the 
same time how matters stood. 

It will be seen from Mr. Seward's telegraphic de- 
spatch, that he threw no obstacle in the way of the Pow- 
hatan's going to the relief of Fort Sumter, which he at 
the time was accused of doing. The Powhatan could 
not have been got ready for the expedition to relieve 
Sumter, had she commenced preparations at the time 
Mr. Welles' order came to fit her out. That order (as 
things were going on) would have found her all in 
pieces, and in dock. In five days after Porter sailed in 
her. Fort Sumter fell. 

The Powhatan, under any circumstances, would have 
been of no use in such an expedition, for she could not 
cross the bar at Charleston, while her boats were worth- 
less, as they would not float ; and when Porter lowered 
them into the sea off Pensacola, the seams were so open 
that they all filled with water. 

The ship could only have laid off the harbor, and her 
officers and men would have witnessed the bombardment 
as others did, without being able to do any good. 

It will be seen, therefore, that it was a very unjust 
thing to lay the blame of the failure on Mr. Seward, 
who, in saving Fort Pickens, performed a more import- 
ant service than the relieving of Sumter would have 
becu. 

Porter had heavy weather all the voyage out, and 



FOKT PICKEltfS RELIEVED. 333 

the sliip was almost knocked to pieces, yet in eight days 
he appeared off the harbor of Pensacola, disguised as an 
English steamer, and so altered that, with English colors 
up, the officers of the fleet lying off the place did not 
know the vessel. The troops in the Atlantic Company's 
steamer arrived just before him, and had got close to the 
beach, ready to be landed. Porter was standing in over 
the ha}\ with the batteries all manned, and would have 
been inside or sunk in twenty minutes more, when 
General Meigs intercepted him in a tug, and wished him 
to cover the landing. He still clung to the President's 
order, to go inside and take the place, but Meigs showed 
him another order fi'om the President, directing him to 
comply with any requisition made upon him by the 
army landing party, and he was reluctantly obliged to 
give up his plan of going inside. He proceeded at once 
to cover the landing, and in half an hour Fort Pickens 
was safe in our possession. With a strong force of 
regulars thrown in, there was no longer any chance of 
General Bragg's attacking it. Thus the most important 
fort in the South was kept in our possession. 

Had the rebels succeeded in getting into it, (which 
they would have done that night, but for this opportune 
anwal,) Pensacola would have proved a greater thorn in 
our side than either Charleston or Wilmington. 

In justice to Mr. Seward, he deserves all the credit 
of the achievement, notwithstanding the abuse heaped 
upon him. 

As soon as Porter got all the troops on shore, he 
urged the senior naval officer, Captain Adams, to block- 
ade the port, and permit no vessels to go in with sup- 
plies. He would not do so himself, but told Porter that 
he might. The latter fitted out at once a small pilot- 



334 VICE-ADMIRAL DAVID D. PORTER. 

boat, and, lying in close witli tlie Powhatan, closed tlie 
port effectually. 

He could liave gone into Pensacola at any time, ten 
days after Ms arrival, and anxiously desired to do so, 
but the army officers in Fort Pickens protested against 
it, urging as a reason, tliat tlie fort was not in a condi- 
tion to resist the fire of Bragg's batteries, which Porter 
knew he could silence. He had made a reconnoissance 
inside the harbor, on a bright moonlight night, and with 
a night-glass saw that there were very few guns. It 
was a great disappointment to him not to be able to 
take the place, when he knew how easily it could have 
been done, but he could not attempt it with the army 
and navy commanders (both his seniors) opposed to it. 
He has, no doubt, since regretted a hundred times that 
he paid any attention to such timid counsels, and did not 
take the responsibility. 

On the arrival of Commodore McKean, the Powhat- 
an was ordered to blockade the mouth of the Mississip- 
pi, at the Northwest Pass, which she did successfully for 
ten months, no vessel getting in or out. 

Finally, the Sumter ran by the United States steamer 
Brooklyn, at Pass a I'Outre, and escaped to sea. A short 
time afterwards, the Powhatan's boats captured a prize 
to the Sumter, endeavoring to get into Barrataria Bay. 
From the prisoners. Lieutenant Porter learned that the 
Sumter was on the south side of Cuba, committing 
depredations on our commerce. 

By permission of Commodore McKean, he went in 
pui'suit of her, and finally arrived at the mouth of the 
Surinam, the day after the Sumter sailed from there. 
He then concluded to steer for Maranham, but met with 
the same disappointment at the latter place. Thence he 



MORTAE FLEET. 335 

tracked the privateer all the way back to the West In- 
dies, where she escaped among some of the French islands. 

The Powhatan, having steamed over ten thousand 
miles Avith her condemned machinery, was now obliged 
to return to the United States, where she was laid up at 
about the time of the Dupont expedition to Port Royal, 
and Lieutenant Porter was detached. He immediately 
sought other active service, and, the capture of New 
Orleans being proposed by him, he was put in communi- 
cation with General McClellan and General Barnard of 
the engineers, to talk the matter over. They were unan- 
imous in their opinion that the city could be taken, 
and preparations were accordingly made to attempt the 
capture of the forts at or near the mouth of the Missis- 
sippi River. Admiral Farragut was ordered to command 
the naval forces, and Lieutenant Porter, having recom- 
mended a large force of mortar vessels, was directed to 
equip them without delay. In thirty-six days thereafter, 
twenty-one mortar schooners and seven gunboat steamers 
sailed from New York for Key West, to join the New 
Orleans expedition. 

Only the mortars were cast. The iron carriages had 
all to be made, twenty thousand shells to be cast, and 
the vessels to be fitted. The fleet arrived at Ship Island, 
and found the squadron still there, and not over the bar 
of the Mississippi, as Porter feared it would be, and so 
was in time. 

After entering the river, the gunboats of Commander 
Porter s flotilla were constantly employed in helping the 
large vessels over the bar. He devoted himself person- 
ally to the matter, and when the pilots failed, time after 
time, he succeeded in getting the Mississij)pi and Pensa- 
cola over, and up to Pilot Town. His fleet being all 



336 VICE-ADMIEAL DAVID D. PORTER. 

ready to move, lie sailed up to witliin tliree miles of tlie 
forts, and tied up to the bank. 

As stated in a previous chapter, under the order of 
Porter, Messrs. Harris and Oltmanns were detailed by 
Mr. Gerdes, assistant on the coast survey, to make a 
minute survey of the river, from "Wiley's Gap," as it 
was called, up to the forts. Lieutenant-commanding 
Guest, in the Owasco, was detailed to protect them in 
their work. These brave engineers surveyed and triangu- 
lated over seven miles of the river, taking in both Forts 
Jackson and St. Philip. A part of the time they were un- 
der fire of shot and shell from the batteries, as well as 
exposed to riflemen concealed in bushes on shore, yet 
they finished their work successfully, and established 
with great precision the positions which the mortar-boats 
were to occupy. 

Before these took their assigned places. Porter di- 
rected the masts to be dressed off with branches, which 
would intermingle them so with the trees or vines, behind 
which they were to be placed, as to render them invisible 
to the enemy. This showed admirable foresight, and 
afterwards so distracted the fire of the enemy that it was 
far less destructive than any one expected it Avould be. 

The wood behind which Porter concealed his mortar, 
boats, was three hundred yards across, and so dense that 
the rebel shot could with difficulty pierce it, while Porter's 
shells rose over it to drop with mathematical accuracy 
into the hostile works. The fleet was divided into three 
divisions, under the command of Lieutenants Watson 
Smith, K. R. Breese, and W. W. Queen, and when the 
signal to "commence action" was made, they opened in 
order, each one firing every ten minutes. The forts 
immediately replied with all the guns they could bring to 



TIIE BOMBAEDMENT. 337 

bear, and the rebel shot crashing through the forest, and 
the shells of the mortars rising in graceful curves above 
it, presented a magnificent spectacle. 

About noon, Porter, seeing that the enemy was get- 
ting the range of Queen's division, and the shot falling 
too near, went on board to move it, and found that 
a hundred-and-twenty-pound shot had passed through 
Queens vessel, damaging the magazine. 

At five o'clock the fort was discovered to be in flames, 
and the fire of the enemy ceased. 

Night coming on and the wind rising. Porter ceased 
firing, having sent over fourteen hundred shells into and 
around the rebel works. On the south shore, the mortars 
could be pointed only by sights fixed to the mastheads, 
"and many curious experiments," remarks Porter, "were 
resorted to, to obtain correct firing.*" 

The next morning, the 19 th, he opened fire again and 
kept it up steadily all day. During the day the schooner 
Maria G. Carleton was sank by a rifle shell passing 
through her deck, magazine, and bottom, while Porter 
was alongside. 

Each day now was a repetition of that which pre- 
ceded it. Porter, seeing that the fuses of the shells were 
bad, ceased timing them, and ordered full-length fuses, 
so that they would burst after they had entered the 
oTound. Althouo;h there were o;reat disadvantao;es in 

O o <D o 

this arrangement, it prevented shells from bursting in 
the air. 

The ground being wet and soft, they descended 
eighteen and twenty feet into the soil, and, exploding 
some time after they were landed, lifted the earth up in 
huge masses. The effect was like that of an earthquake. 
For three days and nights the commanders and crews got 

22 



338 VICE-ADMEAL DAVID D. PORTEE. 

but little rest, and few meals, and hence would often be 
found by Porter in liis rounds fast asleep, even while a 
mortar beside them was thundering away, and shaking 
everything around like an earthquake. Seeing that 
this strain could not be borne long he ordered each divi- 
sion into three watches of four hours each. By this 
arrano-ement the firino; was more accurate, and fifteen 
hundred shells were thrown every twenty-four hours. 
Under this tremendous explosion, windows were broken 
in Balize, thirty miles distant. 

On the night of the 20th, Porter covered the expedi- 
tion sent to break the chain across the channel, with a 
tremendous fire from his mortar fleet. On the 23d, he 
urged Farragut to commence the attack with his shij^s 
that night, as ammunition was getting low, and the crews 
were well nigh worn out, while the enemy was daily 
adding to his naval force and power of defence. 

As the fleet of Farragut, towards morning, steamed 
past the batteries, Poi-ter s flotilla of steamers, the West- 
field, Owasco, Clifton, and Merwin, moved up and main- 
tained a galling fire with shrapnell on the forts, until 
the last vessel had got beyond range of the rebel guns. 

Porter had hardly ordered the firing to cease, when 
it was reported to him that the celebrated ram Manassas 
was coming down to attack him. She was steaming 
slowly along shore, as if preparing for a dash, and fire 
was opened on her. But Porter soon saw that she was 
a dying monster, and ordered the commanders to spare 
their shot. The smoke now began to pour from her, 
showing that she was on fire, while her hull, badly cut 
up with shot, slowly settled in the water. Porter tried 
to save her as a curiosity, and got a haw^ser around her, 
but just before she renched the bank she exj^loded, and. 



COOL CONDUCT. 339 

" like some liuge animal, gave a plunge and disappeared 
under the water." Next came a steamer on fire, followed 
by two others, burning as they slowly drifted by, while 
" fires seemed to be raging all along up river," showing 
what wild work Farrasrut's fleet was makinsf with the 
rebel vessels. Porter now sent a flas: of truce to the 
forts, demanding their surrender. The answer was, " the 
demand is inadmissible." 

Giving the men a day to rest, and, having heard in 
the mean time from Farragut, Porter again opened on 
the forts. He then sent another demand for their sur- 
render, with the terms he would grant. This time the 
answer indicated a great change in the temper of the 
commander, for he rei)lied that, after receiving instruc- 
tions from the authorities of New Orleans, he probably 
would comply with his summons. On the 28th, a flag 
of truce came on board, the bearer of which announced 
that the terms offered by Porter would be accej)ted. 

While he was engaged in the capitulations, an officer 
approached him, and reported that the iron floating 
battery Louisiana, of four thousand tons burthen, and 
mounting sixteen heavy guns, had been set on fire. 
Porter turned to the rebel commander, and quietly 
remarked that the act was in no way creditable to him. 
The latter replied that he was not " responsible for the 
acts of naval officers." Porter then went on with the 
negotiations, when an officer again approached him, say- 
ing that the ropes which fastened the vessel to the 
bank had been burned off, and that all in flames she 
was drifting slowly down on them. Porter turned to 
the commander and asked if the guns were loaded, and 
if there was much powder on board. The latter rej^lied, 
" I presume so, but I know nothing about the naval 



340 VICE-ADMIEAL DAVID D. POETEE. 

matters here." At that moment the heated guns began 
to go off, throwing shot and shell, as though engaging a 
battery. The heavy thunder of the explosions, foretelling 
what would happen when the magazine was reached, 
aroused a little of the sleeping tiger in Porter, and, turn- 
ing to the rebel military officers, he coolly said : " If 
you don't mind the exj^losion which is soon to come, 
Vie can stand it," and went on with the conference, 
amidst the stern music, as calmly as though nothing 
else was going on. In speaking of it afterwards, he 
said : " A good Pro\ddence, which directs the most 
unimportant events, sent the battery off towards Fort St. 
Philip, and, as it got abreast of that formidable fort, it 
blew up with a force which scattered the fragments in 
all directions, killing one of their own men in the fort, 
and when the smoke cleared off it was nowhere to be 
seen, having sunk immediately in the deep water of the 
Mississippi. The explosion was terrific, and was seen 
and heard for many miles up and down the river. Had 
it occurred near the vessels, it would have destroyed 
every one of them." Porter denounced this dastardly 
act in scathing language. 

Like all brave, magnanimous men, ^^illing to accord 
the high qualities they possess to others, even though 
fighting in a bad cause, he said, the " military com- 
manders behaved honorably to the end. * * * The 
most scrupulous regard was paid to their promises. 
They defended their works like men. Had they been 
fighting for the flag under which they were born, instead 
of against it, it would have been honor enough for any 
man to have said, he had fought by their side." 

After the capitulation of the forts, and the sun-ender 
of the few remaining steamers. Porter visited the former 



EFFECT OF THE BOMBARDMENT. 341 

to see Avliat had been tlie ejffect of his bombardment. 
He found that one thousand three hundred and thirteen 
bombs had struck in the centre and solid parts of the 
works, two thousand three hundred and thirty in the 
moat, near the foundations, shaking the whole structure 
to its base, nearly one thousand exploded in and over 
the works, and one thousand three hundred and fifty- 
seven struck about the levees, and in the marsh close 
around, and in the paths and near the waters edge, 
where the steamers attempted to come. Porter says : 

It •was useless for tliem to hold out ; a day's bombardment would liave 
finished them ; they had no means of repau-ing damages ; the levee had 
been cut by the thirteen-inch bombs, in over a hundred places ; and the 
water had entered the casemates, making it very uncomfortable, if not 
impossible, to live there any longer. It was the only place the men had 
to fly to out of reach of the bombs. The drawbridge over the moat had 
been broken all to pieces, and all the causeways leading from the fort were 
cut and blown up with bomb-shells, so that it must have been impossible 
to walk there, or carry on any operations with any degree of safety. The 
magazine seems to have been much endangered, explosions having taken 
place at the door itself, aU the cotton bags and protections having been 
blown away from before the magazine door. Eleven guns were dismounted 
during the bombardment, some of which were remounted again and used 
upon us. The walls were cracked and broken in many places, and we could 
scarcely step without treading into a hole made by a bomb-shell ; the 
accuracy of the fire, is, perhaps, the best ever seen in mortar practice ; it 
seems to have entirely demoralized the men, and astonished the officers. 
A water battery, containing six very heavy guns, and which annoyed us at 
times very much, was filled with the marks of the bombs, no less than one 
hundred and seventy having fallen into it, smashing in the magazine, and 
driving the people out of it. On the night of the passage of the ships, this 
battery was completely silencad, so many bombs fell into it, and burst 
over it. 

Many remarkable escapes and incidents were related to us as having 
happened during the bombardment. Colonel Higgins stated an instance, 
where a man was buried deep in the earth, by a bomb striking him between 
the shoulders, and directly afterwards another bomb exploded in the same 
place, and threw the corpse high in the air. All the boats and scows 
around the ditches and near the landing, were sunk by bombs ; and when 



342 VICE-ADMEAL DAVID D. POETEE. 

we took possession the only way they had to get in and out of the fort to 
the landing, was by one small boat to ferry them across. 



Porter did full justice in his report to Ms brave com- 
manders Kenshaw, Guest, Wainwright, Hanell, Baldwin, 
and Woodworth, of the steamers, and Smith, Breese, and 
Queen, of the flotilla. 

Unstinted praise of others connected with him, 
whether military oflacers or subordinates, who perform 
their duty nobly, is a peculiarity of Porter. His im- 
pulses are so generous and noble that he always seems 
afraid that he shall take too much credit to himself, and 
not do full justice to others. 

The flotilla now took on board General Butler's 
troops, and conveyed them to New Orleans, where the 
mortar vessels were also orderd to assemble. 

Commander Porter was anxious to push on to Vicks- 
burg with his force, which he thought would have result- 
ed in the capture of that place, but he was sent to Ship 
Island, to await the attack on the Mobile forts. In the 
mean time, he sent the mortar schooners to cruise ofi" 
the coast, and captured several prizes loaded with cotton. 

As Admiral Farras-ut was detained in New Orleans, 
Commander Porter determined to attempt the capture 
of the forts at Mobile, alone, and for this purpose got 
under way from Ship Island, with the mortal' vessels 
and gunboats, and steered for Mobile Bay. The wind 
however dying away, and the weather looking bad, the 
schooners put back into port, but the gunboats went in 
and tried their range on the works, hitting them almost 
every time, while only a few shots were fired in return. 

Not designing to do anything more than exhibit a 
little practice, the gunboats retired at sunset. Some 



BEFOEE VICKSBUKG. 343 

went back to Ship Island, and tlie Harriet Lane drifted 
along up to Pensacola. 

Next day, two deserters came off in a boat, and 
informed the l)lockading officer that there was only a 
small fire-comj^any in the fort, who had all intended to 
surrender. The day after, it was strongly reinforced. 

In the mean time, the telegraph conveyed the news 
to Pensacola that a strong force of gunboats was coming 
to that place, upon which the rebels set fire to every- 
thing, and evacuated it. Commander Porter arrived off 
there while this was going on, and ran in and assisted 
to transport the troops across from Santa Kosa Island 
to the mainland. 

The mortar fleet all rendezvoused at Pensacola, 
but their anchors were hardly down when Porter re- 
ceived orders from Admiral Farragut to join him at 
Yicksburg. He immediately proceeded thither and bom- 
barded that place on the passage of the fleet, as he did 
at Forts Jackson and St. Philip. One of his steamers, 
the Jackson, being disabled by a rifle shell, the Clifton 
went to her assistance, when a shot pierced her boiler — 
the escaping steam scalding six men and wounding many 
others. 

The mortar fleet laid two weeks before Vicksburg, 
at a distance of eighteen hundred or twenty-two hundred 
yards from the batteries, and always succeeded in silenc- 
ing them when they opened fire. 

Porter had three of his vessels disabled, and twenty- 
nine men killed and wounded on his steam flotilla, dur- 
ing the passage of the fleet, accompanying each vessel as 
far as the water batteries, where they were exposed to a 
heavy fire. 

In July, 1862, Commander Porter was ordered by 



344 VICE-ADMIEAL DAVID D. PORTER. 

the Secretary of tlie Navy, to proceed witli twelve 
mortar boats to Fortress Monroe, and there await 
orders. He arrived there in ten days, and there being 
nothing for the vessels to do, he obtained leave 
of absence, and was finally detached from the com- 
mand of the mortar flotilla, a little fleet of which he 
was very proud, and which had rendered most excellent 
service. Wilkes took the command, and eventually 
broke it up, an act, in Porter's judgment, very injurious 
to the navy. 

In September, 1862, he was ordered to command the 
Mississippi squadron, as Acting Rear-Admu'al, and en- 
tered upon his duties the next month. 

Admiral Porter found the fleet quite inadequate for 
the defence of such long rivers. There were only thir- 
teen good vessels in all, and these required heavy 
repairs. He immediately improvised a navy-yard at 
Mound City, and in a short time his fleet numbered one 
hundred vessels. These were common river boats, armed 
with heavy guns, and covered with light iron to resist 
field pieces and rifle balls. 

Admii-al Porter, immediately on his arrival in the 
west, notified General Grant that it was proposed at 
head-quarters to send General McClernand to attempt 
the capture of Vicksburg, which would have been an 
invasion of his (Grant's) command. In consequence of 
this information, the General hastened to Cairo and 
arrauged a plan of attack on Vicksburg, -^vhich was at 
once carried out. He marched from Holly Springs, 
while Sherman embarked thirty thousand men in trans- 
ports, and, under cover of the gunboats, proceeded to 
surprise Vicksburg. 

The gunboats under Admiral Porter joined Sherman 



COOPEKATES WITH SHEilMAN. 345 

at Memphis, from whence they proceeded together direct 
to Vicksburg, while General Grant was marching on 
with 50,000 men from Holly Springs. 

The rebels had filled the Yazoo River with torpedoes, 
and the gunboats were sent in at once to clear them out, 
which they did, under a murderous fire of musketry from 
hidden sharpshooters. 

On the 12th of December, 1862, while this work was 
going on, the Cairo, one of the finest vessels, was blown 
up by a torpedo, and sunk out of sight in three 
minutes. 

The ofiicers and men deserved great credit for their 
successfiil efforts in clearing out torpedoes, and, on the 
18th of December, two landings had been secured for 
General Sherman's troops, both well protected by the 
gunboats. 

In the mean time, the rebels had burned the army stores 
at Holly Springs, so that General Grant was obliged to 
fall back again to protect his base and obtain further 
supplies. 

The force that had left Vicksburg, under Joe Johnston, 
to meet him, now fell back again on Sherman, who, in- 
stead of finding about ten thousand men, found forty 
thousand in possession of the place. 

The army, after landing and meeting with great suc- 
cess, had to retire with loss. The rains, setting in very 
heavily at the same time, obliged them either to reem- 
bark or swim for it. 

Admiral Porter made an attack on the Yazoo bat- 
teries ; but, owing to a heavy fog that set in, accompanied 
by heavy rains, it was not successful. 

General Sherman now proposed to the Admiral to with- 
draw from before Vicksburg and attack Arkansas Post — 



346 VICE-ADMIEAL DA\1D D. PORTEE. 

a strong work up the Arkansas River. In the mean time, 
General McClernand came down and assumed command ; 
but the army virtually remained under the control of 
Sherman, and Admiral Porter refused to cooperate unless 
it was so. 

The fleet and transports arrived in the Arkansas 
Eiver about the 2d of January, 1863, and, after the army 
had gained its desired position, the gunboats went in and 
attacked the fort at close quarters — seventy-five yards. 
After a sharp and sanguinary fight of three hours, all 
the enemy's guns being dismounted, and our army sur- 
rounding it ready for an assault, the rebels surrendered. 
The fort surrendered to the navy, and the troops on the 
outside to the army. Porter had twenty-six killed and 
wounded in the engagement. He showed here, not the 
long practice of mortar vessels, but the close combat of 
vessels when lying broadside to broadside. 

After the capture of the fort, destruction of all 
war material, and embarkation of the prisoners — seven 
thousand in all — the army and navy returned to Vicks- 
burg. 

Previous to this. Admiral Porter sent his vessels up 
White Piver and captured all the enemy's remaining 
batteries, which left the Arkansas and Wliite Pivers open 
to the gunboats whenever they chose to go there. For 
his success on this occasion, he received the thanks of 
Congress. 

On the return of the fleet and army to Vicksburg, 
regular operations were commenced against it — the Ya- 
zoo being held by the navy. Fifteen heavy mortar floats 
were towed down from Cairo, gunboats were fitted out 
and added to the fleet as fast as possible, and, finally, the 
whole river was so well protected, fi^om Cairo to Vicks- 



THE YAZOO PASS. 347 

burg, that transports came and went with perfect se- 
curity. 

General Grant now came in person to take com- 
mand of the army, and there was from the first the most 
perfect accord between him and Admiral Porter, the lat- 
ter being at all times ready to carry out his slightest 
wish. Never did a military commander have the aid of 
a more persevering, energetic, unconquerable, tireless, and 
able naval commander than Grant, in the long and ardu- 
ous work that followed. 

Great patience and endurance were shown on both 
sides ; but nowhere can history exhibit a more indomit- 
able spirit than that manifested by our navy. 

Admiral Porter led his fleet into almost inaccessible 
places. The heart of the Yazoo or Sunflower country 
was reached in a great overflow of the Mississippi, by 
pulling up and cutting down the forest trees, and the gun- 
boats traversed a distance of one hundred miles over 
ground where the keel of a canoe even had never before 
been seen. 

The Yazoo pass was opened by cutting the levee, and 
a fleet passed through in that direction, to meet the one 
working its way through Steele's Bayou. 

This last expedition was a most arduous one and full 
of peril. Leaving the Yazoo below Haines' Bluff, it 
entered Steele's Bayou, designing to keep north into the 
Rolling Fork, then eastward through it into the Sunflower 
Biver, and pass in a southerly direction into the Yazoo, 
again striking it above Haines' Bluff instead of below, 
where it started from. Such inland navigation was 
never before attempted by war vessels. The expedition 
consisted of four gunboats, four mortars, and four tugs. 
For thirty miles the little fleet passed up Steele's Bayou, 



348 VICE-ADT.IIEAL DAVID D. PORTER. 

then a mere ditch, to Black Bayou, in which, for four 
miles, the trees had to be torn out or pushed over by the 
iron-clads, or the branches cut away, when Porter at last 
reached Deer Creek. It took twenty-four hours to make 
these four miles. Some idea of the difficulties of the 
route may be obtained when it is remembered that, with 
the utmost exertion of the crews, the vessels for twenty- 
four consecutive hours averaged a speed of only about 
fifty rods an hour. Up this stream to Rolling Fork it 
was thirty-two miles. To the same point by land, was 
twelve miles, over which Sherman marched, in order to 
cooperate with him. The channel was narrow and filled 
with small Avillows, which so retarded the progress of the 
boats that with his utmost exertions Porter could average 
only about a half a mile an hour. At length he got 
-within seven miles of the Polling Fork, from whence 
there would be Vv^ater enough to the Yazoo. 

The inhabitants were filled with amazement to see a 
war fleet sailing through the heart of a country where a 
vessel of any kind had never before been seen, while the 
negroes flocked in crowds to the shore to gaze on the un- 
wonted spectacle. But as soon as the Confederate offi- 
cial in that section was informed of the expedition, he 
gave the alarm and ordered the torch to be ap2:)lied to all 
the cotton along the shore, and Porter was lighted on 
his strange course by a continuous conflagration. 

Negroes were also set to work cutting down trees to 
arrest his progress, until troops and guns could be 
brought up. Porter, made aware of the movement, 
pushed on the tug Thistle, with a howitzer on board, 
which reached the first tree before it was cut down. The 
tug then kept on to keep the way open, but the enemy at 
length succeeded in getting one large tree across the 



STKAlfGE NAVIGATION 340 

creek, and thus for a time stopped all further progress. 
Being noAv safe from our guns, the negroes, under the 
orders of their masters, continued to chop down trees 
until it was thought that Porter could make no farther 
advance. He, however, by working night and day — 
chopping and sawing them in two, or hauling them one 
side, at length cleared the channel and pushed on until 
he got within three miles of the Rolling Fork. Here he 
saw smoke rising over the tree tops in the direction of 
the Yazoo, and learned that the enemv was landino- 
troops to dispute his passage. He immediately sent 
Lieutenant Murphy, with two boat howitzers and three 
hundred men to hold Rolling Fork until he could reach 
it with his boats. 

After working all night, (says Porter,) and clearing out tlie obstruc- 
tions, which were terrible, we succeeded in getting within eight hundred 
yards of the end of this troublesome creek ; had only two or three large 
trees to remove, and one apparently short and easy lane of willows to work 
through. The men being much worn out, we rested at sunset. 

In the morning we commenced with renewed vigor to work ahead 
through the willows, but our progress was very slow ; the lithe trees defied 
our utmost eflbrts to get by them, and we had to go to work and pull them 
up separately, or cut them off under water, which was a most tedious job. 
In the mean time, the enemy had collected and landed about eight hundred 
men, and seven pieces of artillery, (from 20 to 30-pounders,) which were 
firing on our field pieces, from time to time, the latter not having range 
enough to reach them. 

I was also informed that the enemy were cutting down trees in our rear, 
to prevent communication by water, and also prevent our escape ; this 
looked unpleasant. I knew that five thousand men had embarked at 
Haines' Bluff for this place, immediately they heard that we were attempt- 
ing to go through that way, and, as our troojjs had not come up, I con- 
sidered it unwise to risk the least thing ; at all events, never to let my com- 
munication be closed behind me. I was somewhat strengthened in my 
determination to advance no further, imtil reinforced by land forces, when 
the enemy, at sunset, opened on us a cross-fire with six or seven rifled guns, 
planted somewhere ofl' in the woods, where we could see nothing but the 
smoke. It did not take us long to dislodge them, though a large part of 



350 VICE-ADMIRAL DAVID D. POETER. 

tlie crew being ou sliore at the time, we could not fire over them, or until 
they got on board. 

I saw at once the difficulties we had to encounter, with a constant fire 
on our working parties, and no prospect at present of the troops getting 
along. I had received a letter from General Sherman, informing me of the 
difficulties in getting forward his men, he doing his utmost, I know, to 
expedite matters. 

The news of the felling trees in our rear was brought in frequently by 
negroes, who were pressed into the service for cutting them, and I hesitated 
no longer about what to do. We dropped down again, unshipped our 
rudders, and let the vessels rebound fi'om tree to tree. 

As we left, the enemy took possession of the Indian mound, and in the 
morning opened fire on the Carondelet, Lieutenant Murphy, and Cincin- 
nati, Lieutenant Bache ; these two ships soon silenced the batteries, and we 
were no longer annoyed. 

The sharpshooters hung about us, firing from behind trees and rifle 
pits ; but with due precaution we had very few hurt — only five wounded 
by rifle balls, and they were hurt by being imprudent. 

On the 21st, we fell in -nith Colonel Smith, commanding Eighth Mis- 
souri, and other parts of regiments ; we were quite pleased to see him, as 
I never knew before how much the comfort and safety of iron-clads, situated 
as we were, depended on the soldiers. I had already sent out behind a 
force of three hundred men, to stop the felling of trees in our rear, which 
Colonel Smith now took charge of. The enemy had already felled over 
forty heavy trees, which Lieutenant-Commander Owen, in the Louisville, 
working night and day, cleared away almost fast enough to permit us to 
meet with no delay. 

Colonel Smith's force was not enough to justify my making another 
effort to get through ; he had no artillery, and would frequently have to 
leave the vessels in following the roads. 

On the 22d, we came to a bend in the river, where the enemy supposed 
they had blockaded us completely, having cut a number of trees altogether, 
and so intertwined, that it seemed impossible to move them. The Louis- 
ville was at work at them, j)ulling them up, when we discovered about 
three thousand rebels attempting to pass the edge of the woods to our rear, 
whUe the negroes reported artillery coming up on our quarter. 

We were all ready for them, and, when the artillery opened on us, we 
opened such a fire on them, that they scarcely waited to hitch up their 
horses. At the same time, the rebel soldiers fell in with Colonel Smith's 
troops, and after a sharp skirmish fled before the fire of our soldiers. 
After this we were troubled no more. 



Although he now met Sherman's advancing forces, he 



LOSS OF THE INDIANOLA. 351 

saw it would be folly to attempt to retrace his steps, and 
the expedition, after having sailed for upwards of a hun- 
dred and forty miles, right through the plantations of 
rebels, at length found itself once more at the starting 
point ; and the last attempt to get aroTind Vicksburg from 
the north had been made and abandoned. Porter made 
several efforts to send vessels past the batteries at Vicks- 
burg, to cut off the enemy's supplies from Red River, but, 
owing to mismanagement, they fell into the hands of 
the enemy. The Queen of the West and the Indianola 
were both lost to the squadron, but this did not deter the 
Admiral from pursuing his intentions. 

The orders issued on these occasions show how well he 
calculated, and what w^ould have been the consequences 
had they been carried out. The particulars of the less 
of the Queen of the West, under EUet, are given in the 
sketch of him. The Indianola was sent down past the 
batteries at Vicksburg, to cooperate with Ellet, but met 
him returning in the Era, and the commander. Lieutenant 
Brown, thus learned, for the first time, that he had lost his 
vessel. The Indianola then proceeded down the Mississip- 
pi to the mouth of Red River, and blockaded it for several 
days, when Brown, having learned that the Queen of the 
West had been repaired, and was on her way, with several 
other rebel boats, to attack him, he started to join Porter's 
fleet above Vicksburg. He was, however, overtaken on the 
night of the 28th February, and two vessels struck the In- 
dianola at the same time, bows on. A fierce eno-an-ement 
followed, but crash succeeded crash as the rebel vessels 
kept driving on her, and in a short time Brown found that 
she was sinking, when he ran her ashore and surrendered 
her. The rebels immediately began to repair her, as they 
did the Queen of the West. The two boats would make a 



352 VICE-ADMIEAL DAVID D. PORTER. 

formidable addition to their navy, and interfere seriously 
with some of Porter s plans. A ludicrous incident, how- 
ever, broke up this part of their programme, and almost 
repaid Porter for the mortification he felt over the loss of 
the vessel. To break up the monotony of the siege, and 
furnish some amusement to the men, as well as play a good 
joke on the enemy, he rigged up a sort of scow as a mon- 
itor, and set her afloat down the river. The strange craft 
so alarmed the rebels that they blew up the Indianola, 
and fled. We will, however, let the Admiral tell his own 
storv. He savs — 



" Ericsson saved the country with an iron Monitor — why could I not 
save it with a wooden one? An old coal barge, picked up in the river, was 
the foundation to build on. It was built of old boards in twelve hours, with 
pork barrels on top of each other for smoke-stacks, and two old canoes for 
quarter-boats. The furnaces were built of mud, and only intended to make 
black smoke and not steam. 

" Without knowing that Brown was in peril, I let loose our Monitor. 
When it was descried by the dim light of the morn, never did the batteries of 
Vicksburg open with such a din. The earth fairly trembled, and the shot 
flew thick around the devoted Monitor. But she ran safely past all the bat- 
teries, though under fire for an hour, and drifted down to the lower mouth 
of the canal. She was a much better looking vessel than the Indianola. 

" When it was broad daylight they opened upon her again with all the 
guns they could bring to bear, without a shot hitting her to do any harm, 
because they did not make her settle in the water, though going in at one 
side and out at the other. She was already full of water. The soldiers of 
cur army shouted and laughed like mad." 

The news of the safe passage of the batteries by this 
'^Turreted Monster," was sent do^\Ti to Warrenton, un- 
der the batteries of which the Queen of the West and 
Indianola were lying, causing the greatest consternation. 
The Queen of the West instantly got up steam, and hur- 
ried off as fast as her wheels could carry her. The 
Indianola, left alone, was, by direction of the authorities, 



A GOOD HOAX. 353 

at once blown up, to prevent her falling a victim to the 
slo^vlj and majestically approaching Monitor. When 
the rebels found out the hoax that had been played on 
them, their rage and mortification knew no bounds. The 
Richmond Examiner, after reporting the fact, said — 
"Laugh and hold your sides, lest ye die of surfeit of 
derision, O Yankeedom ! Blown up, because forsooth a 
flatboat or mud-scow, with a small house taken from the 
back garden of a plantation put on top of it, is floated 
do-\vn the river." The Dispatch said, grimly, '^ Truly, an 
excellent joke; so excellent that every one connected with 
the affair should be branded with a T. M. 'Turreted 
Monster.' " The whole affair reminds one of the famous 
"Battle of Kegs" in our war of Independence, and 
should be immortalized in as stirring a ballad. 

Everything had been tried that the ingenuity of 
man could suggest, and there seemed no prospect of the 
capture of Vicksburg, until General Grant, in opposition 
to the views of the most of his officers, determined to 
turn it by landing his troops below. 

To Admii'al Porter was entrusted the task of getting 
the gunboats and transports past the batteries, which 
he succeeded in accomplishing (only losing one trans- 
port) under a tremendous fire of an hour and a halfs 
duration. His escape seemed almost miraculous, for the 
enemy had collected a large pile of combustibles on the 
bank, which they set on fire, just as the vessels came to 
a point, on which the fire of the batteries was concen- 
trated. The conflagration lit up the whole bosom of 
the stream, throwing into distinct outline every dark 
hull. The Forest Queen was riddled with shot,, and had 
to be towed down stream. The Henry Clay was set on 
fire, and blazed like a beacon through the gloom, ^vhile 

23 



354 VICE-ADMIRAL DAVID D. POETEE. 

the crew, leaping into tlie boats, made tlieir escape on 
tlie western bank Of the three transports, the Silver 
Wave, alone, escaped unhurt. Porter, however, suc- 
ceeded in getting others through, by lashing barges to 
their sides, and Grant, who had marched below inland, 
had now gunboats and transports to take him over the 
river. But, thii'ty miles below Vicksburg, he found 
another obstruction in his path, the batteries of Grand 
Gulf, of which it was necessary to get possession, before 
the army could proceed. 

At General Grant's request, Admiral Porter attacked 
these batteries with six heavy gunboats, and, after a 
fight of five hours and a half, completely silenced them, 
took all the transports by in safety, and next morning 
with his gunboats and transports, conveyed the army 
to Bayou Pierre, where commenced that march which, 
after a series of beautiful moves, ended in the de- 
struction of the city of Jackson, the dispersion of Joe 
Johnston's forces, and the investment of Vicksburg in 
the rear. 

The fight at Grand Gulf was one of the hardest, if 
not the hardest stand-up fight during the war. The 
enemy's guns were very heavy, and placed in most com- 
manding positions for a mile along the river, and al- 
though some of the gunboats were literally cut to pieces, 
there was not one that did not get at close quarters. 
The current was very powerful, and would whirl them 
around like tops, distracting the aim, and exposing every 
side to the rebel batteries ; but they maintained a dis- 
tance of from forty to three hundred yards, and never 
retired until the enemy was silenced. 

The severity of the battle is shown by the heavy 
loss sustained in three ships — seventy-nine killed and 



A CURT LETTER. 355 

wounded. Twenty-six were killed and wounded on tlie 
flagship Benton, tliougli iron-clad. 

After the armj was landed at Bayou Pierre, Admiral 
Porter got under way again with his fleet, to end the 
matter of the Grand Gulf, but the rebels decamped on 
seeing him coming, and their guns and munitions of war 
fell into the hands of the navy. Thirteen guns were the 
fruits of this victory. 

The same day of the caj^ture of Grand Gulf, the 
Admiral pushed on down the river, with six gunboats, 
to communicate with Admiral Farragut, at the mouth 
of Ked Kiver, where, learning that General Banks was 
marching on the town of Alexandria, he pushed up the 
river to await him. 

Fort de Eussey and Alexandria fell into the hands 
of the navy, and. General Banks arriving a day or two 
after, the city was delivered over to him. 

After this successful raid, in which much valuable 
property belonging to the rebel government was de- 
stroyed. Admiral Porter returned to Vicksburg, to co- 
operate with General Grant. 

He destroyed the works and town of Warrentou, a 
place that had given our vessels considerable trouble, 
and deserved no mercy. 

While the Admiral was below at Grand Gulf, he 
had all the upper fleets to regulate, one on the Tennes- 
see, one on the Cumberland, one on the Yazoo, cooperat- 
ing with General Sherman, while one long line stretched 
from Vicksburg to Cairo, the various reports of which 
would of themselves make a lengthy article. All his 
plans were carried out, and there was not an instance of 
any mishap to any of his vessels, or to the transports. 
Guerilla warfare was kept down on all the rivers, and 



356 VICE-ADJnRAL DAVID D PORTEE. 

tlie gunboats were dreaded by tlie rebels far and 
near. 

When General Grant put himself in the ]'eai of 
Vicksburg on the 18th of May, 1863, Admiral Poiter 
immediately placed himself in communication, and sup- 
plied him with all the necessary stores wanted in his army. 

On the evening of the 21st of May, the Admiral 
received a communication fi'om General Grant, informing 
him that he intended attacking the rebel works on the 
following morning, and asked his cooperation. 

At seven o'clock next day, the gunboats moved 
against the batteries. Admiral Porter leading in a small 
tug. The firing was kept up until one o'clock, at which 
time all the batteries along the river were silenced ; but 
General McArthur was not permitted to take advantage 
of the naval success, and, General Grant's plans having 
been thwarted in other respects, the combined attack 
was a failure. 

The naval operations in the siege that followed, were 
chiefly confined to occasional attacks on the batteries, 
which could be of little avail without a cooperating 
force from the army. 

One of the noblest sj)ectacles of the war was the 
attack of the Cincinnati on the rebel batteries, when 
there was scarcely a hope that she could stand for five 
minutes the fire of the hundred guns which were concen- 
trated on her. This was done at the request of General 
Sherman, who wished to get possession of that flank of 
the rebel works. He thought the heavy guns had been 
moved into Vicksburg, but was mistaken. Porter feared 
that he was, but with that readiness to make any 
sacrifice for the army, especially for such leaders as 
Sherman and Grant, which characterized him, he packed 



LOSS OF THE CINCrNiq^ATI. 3 5*7 

the steamer witli logs and liay, and sent lier down. 
Bache, her commander, carried her gallantly into the 
teiTible fire, but in a few minutes she was completely 
riddled with shot, and began to sink. The flagstaff 
being shot away, Bache had the colors nailed to a stump 
of the foremast, and himself steered his vessel up stream 
towards the right-hand shore, but before she could l)e 
made fast, she went down, carrying fifteen of the crew 
with her. These, with the killed and wounded, made 
his loss over forty men. 

Sherman from a hill top saw the terrific engagement, 
and its sad termination, and, in a letter to Porter, said 
the conduct of the Cincinnati " elicited universal praise, 
and I deplored the sad result as much as any one could." 

Porter, at the request of Grant, now landed twenty 
9-inch, 8-inch, and hundred-pounder rifles, in an incredi- 
bly short space of time, and transported them to the 
rear of Vicksburg. Most of them were worked by 
sailors and their officers, and did excellent service. 

That was a glorious Fourth of July, 1863, when the 
rebel flag was at last hauled down at Vicksburg, at 10 
A. M., and the stars and stripes floated in its place. 

Admiral Porter, in his flagship, and the fleet follow- 
ing, passed down until he came abreast of the town, 
the guns firing, and the flags waving from every mast- 
head. As he rounded to at the levee, General Grant 
and all his general officers came on board, and the 
warmest felicitations took place. It was a beautiful 
sight to see so many gallant men of the army and navy 
assembled together. 

The country was electrified, when the telegraphic 
despatch of Admii'al Porter announced that Vicksljurg 
was in possession of the Union forces. Grant was re- 



358 VICE-ADMIEAL DAVID D. POETEE. 

warded, as lie deserved to be, witli a liigli position, 
and witli votes of thanks, and Acting Eear- Admiral 
Porter again received tlie tlianks of Congress, and was 
created a full Rear- Admiral, tLe commission dated July 
4th, wliich intelligence was conveyed to him in an auto- 
graph letter from the President. 

The Secretary of the Navy, in his public despatch 
to him, complimented him highly, and in conclusion 
said : " To yourself, your officers, and the brave and 
gallant sailors who have been so fertile in resources, 
so persistent and enduring through many months of 
trial and hardship, and so daring under all circum- 
stances, I tender, in the name of the President, the 
thanks and congratulations of the whole country, on 
the fall of Vicksburg." 

After this great event, there was much to do to 
keep the banks of the Mississippi Kiver free from 
guerrillas. Fourteen different districts were constituted 
with a regular naval officer in command of each. The 
White, Arkansas, and Red Rivers, were traversed by the 
gunboats as far as water would permit them to go, and 
the most dogged perseverance was shown by them to 
kill all rebels, or make them quit the country. 

In no part of the country did harder stand-up fight- 
ing take place than in the Mississippi fleet. The rebels 
would bring numerous batteries on the rivers to block- 
ade them and stop commerce, but Admiral Porter always 
had gunboats ready to drive them oif or capture them. 

In but one instance did a " tin-clad " succumb to the 
rebels. On several occasions they went down fighting, 
with colors flying, but they kept the river clear. 

When the rebels marched suddenly into Helena with 
^"iighteen thousand men, under Price, and surprised the 



HIS PEOMOTION". 359 

weak garrison there, and were putting them to the sword, 
Admii'al Porter, who had heard of the move, and pre- 
pared for it, sent his gunboats up at the right mo- 
ment, and defeated the rebels with great slaughter. 
This occurred on the 4th of July, at the hour when our 
flag was just going up on the flagstaff' at Vicksburg. 

General Prentiss wrote Admiral Porter a strong let- 
ter commendatory of the ofl[icer, Lieutenant Prichett, who 
had carried out the Admiral's orders. Porter also sent 
an expedition to Yazoo city, and, though the Baron De 
Kalb was sunk by a torpedo, the frightened enemy set 
fire to five of their largest boats and left one to be cap- 
tured. 

Active operations were carried on in the heart of 
the enemy's country in the seizure of Confederate cotton 
and steamers, by which the sailors were stimulated to 
renewed zeal, and secured a snug little sum of prize 
money. It is impossible in a single article to go over 
the whole field occupied by the forces under Porter. 

The fleets in the upper Ohio and Tennessee, were 
kept very actively employed, and, owing to the persever- 
ance of Lieut. -Commander Fitch and his attention to 
orders, the rebel guerrilla Morgan, and all his gang, were 
captured. Strange to relate, all the artillery and wagons 
fell into the hands of the navy, one of the gunboats sur- 
prising them and causing the men to stampede. 

After the fall of Vicksburg, Admiral Porter went to 
work raising from the bottom of the river the diflferent 
vessels that had been sunk, among them the " Cincinnati.'' 
He refitted her, and she subsequently formed a part of 
Commodore Thatcher's fleet in the attack on the enemy's 
works at Mobile city. 

The year 1864 opened mth apparent quiet all along 



360 VICE-ADMIEAL DAVID D. PORTER. 

the Mississippi river, from Cairo to New Orleans. Oc« 
casionally there would be an attack of guerrillas or field 
pieces on a harmless merchant steamer, but the gunboats 
kept everything quiet The rebels could not stand the 
shrapnell which was poured into them whenever they came 
in sight, for Porter's fleet was ubiquitous and his blows 
fell on every side. 

Sometime in the month of February, General Banks 
wrote to Admiral Porter and informed him that he was 
going up Ped Piver as far as Shreveport, and asked the 
cooperation of the gunboats. This matter had been dis- 
cussed by Porter and General W. T. Sherman, and it 
was proposed that, after the general made his first raid 
near Atlanta, he would suddenly return, and with the 
admiral make a dash up to Shreveport, destroy the 
rams and forts, bring off the cotton, and be back in Mem- 
phis on the 10th of April. 

General Sherman, who was an old campaigner on Ped 
Piver, and knew all about the rise and fall of water there, 
suggested that as the only feasible plan — consequently, the 
plans of the admiral were made to conform with this ar- 
rangement. General Sherman had agreed to meet the 
admiral at Vicksburg, on the 29th of February, and so 
confident was the latter of the general's punctuality, al- 
though he had hundreds of miles to travel with his army, 
that he made his arrangements to meet him at that time. 

Sherman arrived exactly on the day he said he would, 
and was quite surprised to learn that Banks was about 
to go to Shreveport As McClemand was to be second 
in command, and he would not serve under him, he 
(Sherman) determined to go to New Orleans. On his 
return. General Sherman told Porter that he would have 
to give up the expedition, but that he would send Gener- 



EED EIVER EXPEDITION. 361 

al Andrew J. Smith, along with ten thousand men, to 
represent him, and that Gen. Banks had promised to be 
in Alexandria on the seventeenth day of May, and to 
push right on to Shreveport without delay. It was 
necessary to be governed by the height of water in 
Red Kiver. 

Porter landed General A. J. Smith, in the Atchafa- 
laya, while gunboats pushed up Red River, to clear out 
the obstructions. The army and navy arrived about the 
same time, at Fort de Russey, which had been rebuilt 
since Porter s destruction of it the preceding year, and 
heavily armed. The army assaulted and carried it as the 
shells of the leading gunboat drove the enemy from the 
water batteries which they had turned upon our troops. 
This was on the fifteenth of May. Porter then at once 
pushed on up to Alexandria, vv^ith the naval part of the 
expedition, and captured it on the 16th, one day before 
he promised to meet General Banks there. General 
A. J. Smith came up shortly after, and held the town 
while Porter prepared to get the vessels over the "falls.*" 
The water was very low though rising slowly, but he saw 
that it was too late in the season for the gunboats to 
go any further. He supposed that Banks would give 
up the expedition when he got to Alexandria, and allow 
Sherman to have his troops again, with which to carry 
out General Grant's plans. These plans were, for 
General Sherman to push on to Atlanta, while Banks 
made an attack on Mobile, open the Columbia railroad, 
and join the former in his march through the South. 
This plan was defeated by Banks pushing on to Shreve- 
port, after cotton, and alloAving the rebels to hold 
Mobile. 

Had the latter place been captured, Sherman's march 



362 VICE-ADMIEAL DAVID D. PORTER. 

— supplied, as he would have been, with provisions from 
Mobile — would have been an easy task. Banks, how- 
ever, cared for no plans but his own. Instead of being 
as he had promised, in Alexandria on the 17th of May, 
he did not leave New Orleans until the 2 2d. His army, 
under General Franklin, reached the place on the 20th ; 
but. although well organized and ready to proceed, they 
could do nothing until the arrival of the general com- 
manding. On the 20th the water was rapidly falling, 
and Porter told General Stone (Banks' Chief-of-Staff) 
that it would be impossible to reach Shreveport, if he de- 
pended on the gunboats. Stone asserted (for Banks) 
that the gunboats were a necessity, and that without them 
the expedition could not succeed ; and that all the fail- 
ure to wipe out the rebel army in Louisiana would be 
due to the navy. Porter, who never allowed an army 
man to call on him in vain, determined at once to get the 
gunboats over the " falls," if he broke all their backs. 
So he went to work, trying to pull the Eastport, the 
largest boat, over, and after great labor succeeded. In 
the mean time, on the 20th of May, General Banks ar- 
rived in a steamer loaded with champagne and ice, cot- 
ton speculators and brandy, and professing to be in a 
great hurry to get away on his march. 

Porter had all his vessels over, ready for a start ; but 
instead of moving right on. Banks started an election ! 
He forced all the male inhabitants to go to the polls, 
threatening those who were supposed to be disloyal with 
his displeasure if they refused to vote, and promising the 
loyal to stay in the country and protect them, if they did 
vote. This affair occupied several days, and was the fin- 
ishing blow to the expedition. 

When at length the army started, Porter pushed the 



FATAL DELAYS. 363 

gunboats up to Grand Ecore, and captured that place 
before the arrival of the troops. 

Five or six more days were wasted in electioneering 
at Grand Ecore, the water in the river still falling. 

Porter now did all he could to persuade General Banks 
to give up the hope of getting the gunboats up, and to 
push on to Shreveport by himself; but the latter dared 
not move without them. 

Selecting vessels of the lightest draft, and the proper 
kind of transports, drawing little water, Porter now 
pushed on to a point where Banks proposed to meet 
him with his army, having it perfectly understood that 
no other transports would follow. But he had not 
gone twenty miles, when six large transports joined 
the expedition, for the purpose of taking on hoard cot- 
ton. This delayed the vessels ; but Porter could not get 
rid of them without sending a couple of gunboats back 
to protect them, and not a single gun could be spared, so 
he dragged them through. 

No one can imagine the difficulties of that river for 
two hundred miles, as without pilots Porter had to thread 
his way through snags and shoals. It was a wonder he 
ever reached the appointed place, where he expected to 
find a victorious army. 

Pie was much annoyed with rebel sharpshooters on 
his way up ; but, by maintaining a fire of shells into the 
brush, he kept them at a respectful distance. 

When he arrived at the landing where Banks ex- 
pected to meet the fleet, he found a large steamer thrown 
across the river, from bank to bank, to stop his progress, 
while the silence of the grave reigned around. 

Porter had with him, in command of the troops, 
General Smith, who landed with him and proposed 



364 VICE-ADJITRAL DAVID D. POETER. 

landing his men. The former said, " No, General, there 
is something wrong ; an army like that of Banks should 
have been here, and he has met with a check." 

So they rode out to the front to reconnoitre, and at a 
short distance perceived a number of rebel horsemen 
watching their movements. Porter made up his mind 
that our army was nowhere near, and so they returned on 
board the vessels. He there met a messenger who 
had left General Banks the day before, and who in- 
formed him that the whole army Avas retreating. 
Here was an awkward dilemma for Porter — fifty ves- 
sels in a narrow river, and a victorious rebel army, 
with some fifty pieces of artillery, between him and 
safety. But there was no time to be lost, and, al- 
though the night was coming on, he ordered a return, 
issuing the most stringent instructions about the move- 
ments of the vessels. He also distributed the dif- 
ferent gunboats among the transports, to protect the 
latter. 

One has observed how a rain shower comes on — 
first a drop or two, then a slight pattering rain, then a 
heavy shower, and, finally, a torrent. So now com- 
menced the bullets from the rebel sharpshooters — first a 
few, then in companies of twenty, then by hundreds, then 
by thousands. 

The soldiers and sailors, screening themselves as best 
they could, drove off these fellows with their bullets, 
while the gunboats kept shelling them all day and night. 
It was a most tedious and harassing retreat. 

Porter had succeeded in gettmg about half-way down 
the river, when a heavy fire of artillery and musketry 
was opened on the middle of the line by the rebels. For- 
tunately this happened to be where Porter had two good 



THE ENEaiY EEPULSED. 365 

gunboats, the Lexington, under Lieut. George M. Bache ; 
and a small iron-clad, under Lieut. Commander Thomas 
O. Selfridge. Some of the army boats had field-pieces 
on their upper decks, and all these vessels opened heavily 
on the rebels. 

Porter was just getting his gunboats below in position 
to attack a battery that the enemy had thrown up to stop 
him, when he heard heavy firing behind him. He at once 
left his work to return and see what was going on, and 
arrived just in time to see the army retreating in all direc- 
tions, and completely routed. 

The rebels had made their attack at the most difiicult 
part of the river, where four or five of our vessels were 
fast in the mud, and others alongside of them trying to 
pull them off. The advance consisted of three thou- 
sand men, with a reserve of seven thousand a mile 
back, ready to come to their assistance. They were com- 
manded by General Green, their best general, and one 
who had given our people a great deal of trouble. 

He soon found that his men could not stand our fire ; 
but he determined not to retreat, and forced his troops 
up to the edge of the bank, where our gunboats fairly 
mowed them down. He finally got his head shot off, and, 
nearly all his officers having been killed around him, the 
rest retreated in disorder, cut up as they fled. Their 
artillery and all the killed and wounded were left on the 
field of battle. The seven thousand in reserve never ad- 
vanced at all, and soon followed the retreating mob, los- 
ing a number of men by our far-reaching shells. 

This was the victorious army that had defeated Banks 
the day before, and, flushed with victory, pounced on 
Porter. They calculated that the high banks and low 
water, and the grounding of his vessels, would give them 



366 VICE-ADMIRAL DAVID D. POETEB. 

an easy victory. They were then to fall on Banks' army 
again, and capture the provisions and medical stores, and 
thus compel its surrender. The death of General Green 
defeated this plan. 

The management of the rebel army now fell into 
the hands of drunken Dick Taylor, who was entirely 
incompetent to conduct it. He did really nothing, ex- 
cept hang on Banks' rear and pick up a few barrels of 
whiskey, and a few stragglers. 

When Porter arrived at Grand Ecore, three days after 
the above fight, he found the army perfectly demoralized, 
and Banks ready to run any where. He advised him to 
hold on, and not retreat, and to occupy the country until 
the s^jring rains, when they could go up again. He told 
him that he could supply him with his light vessels ; but 
Banks chose to retreat, and, finally, reached Alexandria 
in safety ! 

Porter knew he could not get out of the river tlien 
without help. But, in a conversation with Colonel Bailey, 
a plain, common-sense man, the latter assured him he 
would have no difficulty about getting the vessels over the 
"falls." 

The Admiral now had to fight his way back, over- 
coming difficulties that would have disheartened any 
other man. He finally reached Alexandria, Avith all his 
gunboats, except the Eastport, and his own "tin-clad" 
steamer, the Cricket, which was so cut up that there was 
scarcely any of her left. Half her crew were killed and 
wounded, and some of the other vessels had fared almost 
as badly. 

Porter's efforts to save the Eastport show, not only 
the indomitable character of the man, but that chivalric 
feeling which belongs to the whole race. After she had 



FIGHTS HIS WAY BACK. 367 

been lightened and got afloat she again grounded. Al- 
though she was taken several miles down the river, 
grolinding in all eight times, he would not abandon her. 
Had he acted on his own judgment he doubtless would 
have blown her up before he did ; but, seeing the deter- 
mination of her commander, Lieutenant E. T. Phelps, 
and his crew to save her, and admiring the ceaseless her- 
culean efforts they put forth, he stuck to them like a 
brother. He said : "I determined that I would never 
leave this vessel to her fate, as long as her commander 
felt a hope of getting her down." The army was sixty 
miles ahead of him, and a snaggy, shallow river, with its 
banks filled with sharpshooters, lay between. The 
Eastport was finally brought down sixty miles from the 
place where she first sunk, and he had strong hopes of 
getting her through, when she ran fast aground, with a 
bed of logs under her, and had to be blown up. Phelps 
himself applied the match. 

Porter now fought his way back to Alexandria, at 
one point under a heavy fire. 

Finding (he says) the guns not firing rapidly, I stepped on the gun- 
deck, to see what was the matter. As I stej)ped down, the after gun was 
struck with a shell and disabled, and every man killed or wounded. 
At the same moment, the crew from the forward gun were swept away 
by a shell exploding, and the men were wounded in the fire-room, leaving 
only one man to fire up. 

I made up a gun's crew from the contrabands, who fought the gun to 
the last moment. Finding that the engine did not move, I went into the 
engine-room and found the chief engineer killed, whose place was soon 
supplied by an assistant. I then went to the pilot-house, and found that 
a shot had gone through it, and wounded one of the pUots. I took charge 
of the vessel, and, as the battery was a very heavy one, I determined to pass 
it, which was done und^r the heaviest fire I ever witnessed. 

The moment he ari'ived at Alexandria, and found 
that he could not get over the falls, he called to see 



368 VICE-ADMIRAL DAVID D. POETEB. 

what Greneral Banks was going to do. He found him 
determined to leave as soon as lie could gather all the 
cotton in and about Alexandria, and talked to Por- 
ter about blowing up his gunboats, which the latter 
laughed at. 

Seeing how things were going, he sent a bearer of 
despatches to Washington, which were telegraphed from 
Cairo. On Porter's representations, General Canby was 
sent out to relieve Banks, and with orders to stay with 
the army in Alexandria, until the gunboats were re- 
lieved. 

The same orders came to Banks, much to his surprise, 
as he knew nothing about Porter's action. In the mean 
time, the latter called on Banks and laid Colonel Bailey's 
proposition, for getting the boats over the falls, before 
him. He looked at it kindly enough, but took no steps 
towards doing anything, until General Franklin urged 
it. Then, after three days' vacillation, he gave the 
proper orders, placing at Colonel Bailey's disposal three 
thousand men, and two or three hundred wagons. All 
the neighboring steam-mills were torn down for mate- 
rial, two or three regiments of marine men were set to 
work felling trees, which soon were coming down with 
great rapidity, teams were moving in all directions 
bringing in brick and stone, quarries opened, flatboats 
built, and the forest became a human hive, while the 
shouts of men resounded on every side. 

In the mean time, General Hunter came up to see 
how matters stood, and he and Banks called to see Por- 
ter. General Hunter said to Porter : " Admiral, which 
of your vessels above the falls can you best afford to 
blow up 1 " He answered, " Not one of them, sir ; not 
even the smallest If I can't get over the ' falls,' and 



PASSAGE OF THE FALLS. 369 

the army leave me, I can take care of myself, and will 
get out at the first rise." 

Still, it would have subjected him to great inconve- 
nience for a couple of months, but he knew that before 
that time had elapsed, General Sherman would come up 
there, if he was in danger. 

We cannot do better than give the account of the 
building of the dams and passage of the falls, in Porter's 
own graphic and eloquent language. 

These falls are about a mile in length, filled with rugged rocks, over 
which, at the present stage of water, it seemed to be impossible to make 
a channel. 

The work was commenced by rimning out from the left bank of the 
river, a tree-dam, made of the bodies of very large trees, brush, brick, and 
stone, cross-tied with other heavy timber, and strengthened in every way 
which ingenuity could devise. This was run out about three hundred feet 
into the river ; four large coal barges were then filled with brick, and sunk 
at the end of it. From the right bank of the river, cribs filled with stone 
were built out to meet the barges. All of which was successfully accom- 
plished, notwithstanding there was a current running of nine milei? an hour 
which threatened to sweep everything before it. 

It will take too much time to enter into the details of this truly wonder- 
ful work. Suffice it to say, that the dam had nearly reached completion 
in eight days' working time, and the water had risen sufficiently on the 
upper falls to allow the Fort Hindman, Osage, and Neosho, to get down . 
and be ready to pass the dam. In another day it would have been high ^ 
enough to enable all the other vessels to pass the upper falls. Unfortunate- 
ly, on the morning of the 9th instant, the pressure of water became so ■ 
great, that it swept away two of the stone barges, which swung in below 
the dam on one side. Seeing this unfort,uuate accident, I jumped on a horse 
and rode up to where the upper vessels were anchored, and ordered the 
Lexington to pass the upper falls, if possible, and immediately attempt to 
go through the dam. I thought I might be able to save the four vessels 
below, not knowing whether the persons employed on the work would ever 
have the heart to renew their enterprise. 

The Lexington succeeded in getting over the upper falls just in time, 
the water rapidly falling as she was passing over. She then steered directly 
for the opening in the dam, through which the water was rushing so furi- 
ously that it seemed as if nothing but destruction awaited her. Thousands 
24 



Bio ViCE-ADMIEAL DAVID D. PORTER. 

of beating hearts looked on, anxious for the result. The silence was so 
great, as the Lexington approached the dam, that a pin might almost be 
heard to fall. She entered the gap with a full head of steam on, pitched 
down the roaring torrent, made two or three spasmodic rolls, hung for a 
moment on the rocks below, was then swept into deep water by the cur- 
rent, and rounded-to safely into the bank. Thirty thousand voices rose in 
one deafening cheer, and universal joy seemed to pervade the face of every 
man present. 

The Neosho followed next ; all her hatches battened down, and every 
precaution taken against accident. She did not fare as well as the Lexing- 
ton, her pilot having become frightened as he approached the abyss, and 
stopped her engine, when I particularly ordered a full head of steam to be 
carried ; the result was, that for a moment her hull disappeared from sight 
under the water. Every one thought she was lost. She rose, however, 
swept along over the rocks with the current, and fortimately escaped with 
only one hole in her bottom, which was stopped in the course of an hour. 

The Hindman and Osage both came through beautifully without touch- 
ing a thing, and I thought if I was only fortunate enough to get my large 
vessels as well over the falls, my fleet once more would do good service on 
the Mississippi. 

The accident to the dam, instead of disheartening Colonel Bailey, only 
induced him to renew his exertions, after he had seen the success of getting 
four vessels through. 

The noble-hearted soldiers, seeing the labor of the last eight days swept 
away in a moment, cheerfully went to work to repair damages, being con- 
fident now that all the gunboats would be finally brought over. These 
men had been working for eight days and nights, up to their necks in the 
water in the boiling sun, cutting trees and wheeling bricks, and nothing 
• but good humor prevailed among them. On the whole, it was very fortu- 
nate the dam was carried away, as the two barges that were swept away 
from the centre swung around against some rocks on the left, and made a 
fine cushion for the vessels, and jjrevented them, as it afterwards appeared, 
from running on certain destruction. 

The force of the water and the current being too great to construct a 
continuous dam of six hundred feet across the river in so short a time. 
Colonel Bailey determined to leave a gap of fifty-five feet in the dam, and 
build a series of wing-dams on the upper falls. This was accomplished in 
three days' time, and on the 11th instant the Mound City, Carondelet, and 
Pittsburg, came over the upper falls, a good deal of labor having been ex- 
pended in hauling them through, the channel being very crooked, scarcely 
wide enough for them. Next day, the Ozark, Louisville, Chillicothe, and 
two tugs, also succeeded in crossing the upper falls. Immediately after- 
wards, the Mound City, Carondelet, and Pittsburg, started in succession to 
: pass the dam, all their hatches battened down, and every precaution taken 



THE FLEET SAFE. 371 

to prevent accident. The passage of these vessels was a most beautiful 
sight, only to be realized when seen. They passed over without an acci- 
dent, except the unshipping of one or two rudders. This was witnessed by 
all the trooj)s, and the vessels were heartily cheered when they passed over. 
Next morning at 10 o'clock, the Louisville, Chillicothe, Ozark, and two 
tugs, passed over without any accident, except the loss of a man, who was 
swept off the decks of one of the tugs. By 3 o'clock that afternoon, the 
vessels were all coaled, ammunition replaced, and all steamed down the 
river, with the convoy of transports in company. A good deal of diflBculty 
was anticipated in getting over the bars in lower Red River; depth of water 
reported only five feet ; gunboats were drawing six. Providentially, we 
had a rise from the back-water of the Mississippi, that river being very 
high at that time ; the back-water extending to Alexandria, one hundred 
and fifty miles distant, enabling us to pass all the bars and obstructions 
with safety. 

Words are inadequate to express the admiration I feel for the abilities 
of Lieutenant-Colonel Bailey. This is, without doubt, the best engineering 
feat ever performed. Under the best circumstances, a private company 
would not have completed this work under one year, and to an ordinary 
-mind the whole thing would have appeared an utter impossibility. Leav- 
ing out his abilities as an engineer, the credit he has conferred upon the 
countiy, he has saved to the Union a valuable fleet, worth nearly two mil- 
lion dollars. More, he has deprived the enemy of a triumph, which would 
^Sjife emboldened them to caiTy on this war a year or two longer ; for the 
'intended departure of the army was a fixed fact, and there was nothing left 
for me to do, in case that event occurred, but to destroy every part of the 
vessels, so that the rebels could make nothing of them. The highest 
honors the government can bestow on Colonel Bailey, can never repay him 
for the services he has rendered the country. 



The Signal and Covington were unfortunately lost 
below Alexandria, althougli they were fought to the 
last. The commander of the latter was compelled to 
Mow her up, but the former was surrendered, as her 
decks were so covered with the wounded, that Lieu- 
tenant Morgan refrained, from feelings of humanity, from 
blowing her up. 

Porter not only complimented Bailey in his report, 
but got him promoted to Brigadier General. Not 
satisfied mth this, he presented him with a splendid 



372 VICE-ADJnEAL DAVID D. POETEE. 

sword, costing seven hundred dollars. He also, witli tlie 
officers of the fleet, presented him with a silver vase, 
emblematic of the event, that cost sixteen hundred dol- 
lars, and has never lost his interest in him from that 
time to this. 

It was the opinion of the army and of the country, 
that the fleet would have been destroyed in case the 
army left ; but this was a mistake. The fleet had near- 
ly four months' provisions, and could have maintained 
itself easily until the next rise of water, which took 
place two months afterwards. Porter did not attempt 
to discourage this belief; for he was determined not to 
stay there. His fleet was needed on the Mississippi — in 
fact, the Government could not do without it. 

There was a stretch of river above the falls, of forty 
miles extent, where the vessels could have gone up and 
down without hindrance. The guns of the fleet were 
too heavy and too numerous to permit the rebels to 
erect any batteries, and they had no heavy guns of any 
kind with which to do the fleet much harm. Some 
inconvenience might have been felt from sharpshooters, 
but the rebels had too wholesome a dread of gunboats 
and shrapnell, to ventui'e within reach of the navy bat- 
teries, and Porter would have stood at bay there till 
the last ounce of provision was gone. 

The friends of General Banks attempted to break 
his fall, by laying a part of the blame of the failm-e of 
the expedition on the navy ; but it would not do, and 
praise instead of censure is meted out to Porter for 
the management of his part of the unfortunate under- 
taking. 

The latter part of Admiral Porter's command on the 
Mississippi, was spent in chasing the rebels from river 



AIDS SHEE3IAN. 3*73 

to river, giving tliem no rest by night or day. He also 
opened communication with the army, and supplied it 
with provisions. 

While General Grant was preparing to attack the 
rebels at Chattanooga, Admiral Porter accidentally heard 
that General Sherman had left Memphis with thirty 
thousand men, to join him by the Corinth road. 

It was usual with General Shennan to keep the 
Admiral notified of his movements, in case he should 
want assistance ; but the former supposed that he would 
have no difficulty in crossing the Tennessee, as it was the 
stage of low water, and he did not think, moreover, that 
the light-draught gunboats could get up to Florence, a 
place somewhat above where he intended to cross. 
But Admiral Porter thought otherwise. The moment 
he heard of Sherman's move fi-om Memphis, he selected 
the lightest-draught gunboats, and took off some of 
their guns, so that they would draw the least possible 
water. He then planked over some empty coal barges 
to serve as bridges, and sent along a light-draught feriy- 
boat. Light-draught transports were also added with 
stores for the army, and the fleet was despatched up 
the Tennessee, under the command of Captain Phelps, 
an able officer. 

When the advance guard of General Sherman arrived 
at Corinth, he rode over to the Tennessee and found the 
river rising. A heavy rain-storm set in, and in a few 
hours it was booming. All efforts to construct a bridge 
failed, while the wagons that attempted to ford the stream 
were damaged and had to give it up. Finally, the cur- 
rent became so strong that Sherman felt that he would 
have to wait patiently for the vv^aters to subside. He 
rode back to camp quite disheaitened, and throwing him- 



374 VICE-ADMIEAL DAVID D. PORTEE. 

self on his camp bed, felt, he said, "as if he had a thirty- 
pound shot in his stomach." He was thinking of the 
mutability of human affairs, when an orderly rode up at 
full speed and informed him that the admiral was in 
sight, coming up with the gunboats. The orderly had 
mistaken the divisional flag of the district commander 
for that of the admiral. Tt Avas like an electric shock to 
Sherman, and jumping up he rode over immediately to 
the river, when Captain Phelps, in the name of the ad- 
miral, placed the vessels at his disposal. 

With the flatboats, ferryboats, gunboats, and trans- 
ports, only a few days were occupied in crossing the 
river, and, with a fresh supply of stores and forage, 
General Sherman marched with elated spirits forward. 
As it is well known he did not arrive at Chatta- 
nooga a moment too soon. But for Porter s forecast and 
thoughtfulness, what a different result might have been 
reached. 

After the great victory of Missionary Pidge, the state 
of Tennessee became comparatively quiet. Still the up- 
per part of the Tennessee Piver was much infested with 
rebels, and Admiral Porter armed and equipped four 
steamers that had been built by the army above Muscle 
Shoals, and formed a little squadron there under a lieu- 
tenant of the regular navy, which did good service during 
the campaign, and rendered material aid to our forces. 
He also sent fifteen vessels of different kinds to Admiral 
Farragut, some of which performed an important part in 
the attack on Mobile. 

Admiral Porter found it necessary to rule on the 
Mississippi with an iron hand. He constantly came in 
contact with dishonest speculators, cotton stealers, and 
swindlers of all kinds, to whom he showed no mercy. 



FORT FISHEE. 375 

These persons hired hostile presses to abuse him, which 
had about as much effect on him as pouring oil on fire 
to put it out 

He performed his duty faithfully and fearlessly, to 
the satisfaction of the government. 

After an active and harassing service of two years 
on the Mississippi, Admiral Porter was invited by the 
Secretary of the Navy to pay a visit to Washington, and 
see his family, with whom he had only been a few days 
during the war, and then under circumstances where he 
could not enjoy their society. He now spent three 
months at the North, quietly enjoying the rest he so 
much needed, and, when his health was somewhat im- 
proved, started, via Washington, to return to his duties 
in the West But while at the capital, he was tendered 
the command of the North Atlantic squadron, which he 
disliked to accept, as it interfered with another officer, 
but the matter was not left to him. 

The capture of Fort Fisher, long a cherished object 
with the Secretary of the Navy, was now taken up again, 
and Porter and Mr. Fox, assistant secretary, were sent 
to City Point in September, 1864, to confer with Grant 
about it The latter agreed to furnish eight or nine 
thousand men to be placed under Weitzel. 

A large fleet was at once ordered to assemble in 
Hampton Poads. A powerful force was soon gather- 
ed and organized into five divisions, under five commo- 
dores, each of whom had charge of the fitting out of his 
own squadron, and in a few days Porter was ready to 
move. But long delay followed, as General Grant just 
then could not spare the troops. This delay, however, 
did the navy no harm. It gave the commanders an 
opportunity to discipline and exercise their crews, and to 



376 VICE-ADMIRAL DAVID D. PORTER. 

become familiar with the plans of the Commander-in- 
chief, which were given in full to every officer in com- 
mand. 

The smaller vessels were in the mean time placed on 
blockade duty, oiF the Cape Fear inlets, and the system 
adopted by Porter almost broke up the blockade running. 

The steamers were placed in three half-circles, one 
outside of the other. The first circle was near the bars, 
the second about twelve miles outside of that, and the 
third one hundred miles outside of all. All the vessels 
in the circles were within signal distance, so that a 
steamer could not pass between them without being seen. 

If a blockade runner got out of Wilmington at or 
before daylight, she would be seen by the middle circle. 
If she left Wilmington after sunset, she would be picked 
up by the outer circle at daylight the next morning, &c. 
This plan succeeded admirably, and, in less than thirty- 
five days, over seven millions of the enemy's property 
were either captured or destroyed. 

Other portions of the squadron were actively engaged 
during the time the larger vessels were lying in Hamp- 
ton Roads. 

He sent Lieutenant Cushing to Plymouth, N. C, to 
attempt to blow up the rebel ram Albemarle, and, at the 
same time, gave instructions to Commander Macomb, 
the senior officer in the Sounds, to assist him with boats, 
and to take advantage of the opportunity if he succeeded. 
Cushing did succeed ; and Macomb, like a brave officer, 
availing himself of the consequent confusion, attacked 
the forts at Plymouth with his small force, capturing 
them and everything in the town. The fruits of this 
victory were : twenty-two heavy cannon, thirty-seven 
prisoners, and over four hundred stand of arms. There 



THE BOMBAEDMENT. 377 

were more guns in the forts than were carried by the 
fragile vessels that made the attack. 

In the middle of December, the fleet, which had been 
lying all winter in Hampton Roads, sailed. 

No American commander, and scarcely any Euro- 
pean one, ever led so imposing a fleet as Porter now 
had under him. Over seventy vessels of various kmds 
composed it ; and, when it was all assembled near Fort 
Fisher", it presented a grand and imposing spectacle. 
And never did a fleet have a nobler captain at its head. 

Before the attack commenced, a powder-boat, with 
sufficient powder aboard, it was thought, to blow up 
the magazine of the fort, was towed up to the neighbor- 
hood of the works by Commander A. C. Rhind and 
Lieutenant S. W. Preston, and fired. These gallant men 
never expected to return alive, yet they unflinchingly per- 
formed the perilous task assigned them, and received the 
warmest commendation of Porter. 

No adequate description of the bombardment that 
followed can be given. 

The attack was made with thirty-seven vessels, with 
nineteen more in reserve ; and when they took up their 
respective positions, and opened fire, the spectacle was 
one of the grandest ever witnessed on earth. The shells, 
crossing and recrossing each other in every direction, 
made the heavens one great fretwork of fire, while the 
explosion of so many cannon made land and sea tremble. 
The hostile batteries at first responded, but as soon as 
Porter got all his guns to bear, he poured such a horrible, 
ceaseless storm of shells into the works, that the gunners 
took refuge in their casements, and the fort stood and 
received the remorseless pounding in silence. 

The bombardment was kept up for five hours, and 



378 VICE-ADMIEAL DAVID D, POETEE. 

during that time six one-hundred-pound Parrott guns 
burst on board the vessels, killing and wounding several 
men. 

The troops not all having arrived, Porter, at night, 
withdrew his fleet The next morning, Christmas, he 
again signalled to form line of battle, and the awful fire of 
the day before was repeated. Under cover of it, part of 
the troops were landed, and some daring soldiers actually 
walked inside the works. But Weitzel, after a recon- 
noissance, pronounced them too strong to be carried by 
assault, and Butler, who had taken command, resolved to 
abandon the attempt, and reembark the troops. When 
this decision was reported to the Admiral, he was at the 
table, after a hard day's work, eating a Christmas turkey, 
" Well," said he, " that don't spoil my appetite," and, 
turning to an officer near him, quietly asked, "What part 
of the turkey will you have?" and said no more about it. 
The fact was, he thought the sooner General Butler went 
back the better. He continued filling up with ammuni- 
tion, confident that Grant would not let the affair end so. 
In reporting it to the Department, he said that he did 
not wish to put his opinion against so able an engineer 
as Weitzel. " But," he dryly added, " I can't help think- 
ing it was worth while maMng the attempt after coming so 
farT In an after report he said, "there never was a fort 
that invited soldiers to walk in and take possession more 
plainly than Fort Fisher." 

It is useless, in the light of subsequent events, to go 
over Butler's report, and show how false Porter found his 
statements to be. A charlatan, and ignorant of military 
matters, the former never should have been allowed any 
command in the expedition. With such men as Grant 
and Sherman, Porter could always act with perfect ac- 



SECOND ATTACK. 379 

cord, but, with military leaders like Banks and Butler, it 
was impossible — tor gallantry and ability cannot harmon- 
ize with cowardice or imbecility. 

Porter now went on to prepare for another attack, 
which the government determined should be made. In 
tJb^ rixean time a succession of gales swept over him, 
which the enemy thought would drive him off, but they 
little knew the man. He held on, though at times it 
seemed impossible to do so. 

On the 13th of January, another military force hav- 
ing arrived under General Terry, preparations were at 
once made to take the fort, and, under cover of the fire 
of the iron-clads, the troops were landed. The next day 
Porter again formed his line of battle, and, with all the 
ships carrying eleven-inch guns, opened on the fort. He 
rained a horrible tempest on it till sunset, when, as he said, 
" the fort was reduced to a pulp, and every gun silenced." 
That evening Terry came on board his ship, to arrange 
for the assault next day. 

It was determined that Porter should furnish sixteen 
hundred seamen and four hundred marines, to constitute 
a storming party against the sea side, while Terry as- 
saulted the land side. 

The next day, at eleven o'clock. Porter was again in 
line of battle, and, with his anchors down, once more 
rained his shells into the fort. A fire that nothing hu- 
man could stand was kept up till three o'clock, when the 
long-expected signal' fi?om shore came, that the troops 
were ready to assault 

The vessels then changed their fire to the upj^er batteries ; all the steam- 
whistles were blown, and the troops and sailors dashed ahead, nobly vying 
with each other to reach the top of the parapet ; we had evidently (we 
thought) injured all the large guns, so that they could not be fired to annoy 



380 VICE-ADJirEAL DAVID D. POETER. 

any one. The sailors took to the assault by the flank along the beach, 
while the troops rushed in at the left, through the palisades that had been 
knocked away by the fire of our guns. 

All the arrangements on the part of the sailors had been well carried 
out ; they had succeeded in getting up to within a short distance of the 
fort, and lay securely in their ditches. We had but very few killed and 
wounded to this point. The marines were to have held the rifle-pits and 
cover the boarding party, which they failed to do. On rushing through 
the palisades, which extended from the fort to the sea, the head of the 
column received a murderous fire of grape and canister, which did not, 
however, check the officers and sailors who were leading. The parapets 
now swarmed with rebels, who poured in a destructive fire of musketry. 
At this moment, had the marines performed their duty, every one of the 
rebels would have been kiUed. 

I witnessed the whole afiair, saw how recklessly the rebels exposed 
themselves, and what an advantage they gave our sharpshooters, whose 
guns were scarcely fired, or fired with no precision. Notwithstanding the 
hot fire, officers and sailors in the lead rushed on, and some even reached 
the parapet, a large number having reached the ditch. 

The advance was swept from the parapet like chaff; and notwithstand- 
ing all the efforts made by commanders of companies to stop them, the men 
in the rear, seeing the slaughter in front, and that they were not covered by 
the marines, commenced to retreat, and as there is no stopping a sailor if 
he fails on such an occasion on the first rush, I saw the whole thing had to 
be given up. 

The troops, however, kept on ; and, fightmg fi'om 
traverse to traverse in the darkness, at length cleared the 
works. Terry's signal torch blazed from the ramparts, 
announcing the victory, which Porter, with rockets in 
turn, announced to the fleet, when there arose such thun- 
dering cheers as never before shook the waters of that bay. 

The fleet in this bombardment had thrown fifty thou- 
sand shells ; its great loss was in this assault. Among 
the killed, were the gallant lieutenants, S. W. Preston 
and B. H. Porter. 

General Butler was in Washington, before the Com- 
mittee on the Conduct of the War, giving the reasons 
why it was unwise and hopeless to attempt to carry Fort 
Fisher by assault, when the astounding news came that 



niS CHAEACTER. 381 

it had fallen. His able exposition was cut short, and 
the country lost the benefit of the whole argument he had 
planned. The shout of victory that went up closed the 
controversy that had been carried on between him and 
Porter, and raised the latter still higher in the popular 
estimation. A greater triumph, after all his harassing 
difficulties, could not have been awarded him. 

The navy captured in the various works here one 
hundred and sixty-eight cannon. 

After the capture of Fort Fisher and the adjacent 
works, Admiral Porter, by direction of the Navy De- 
partment, sent off all the vessels he could spare to points 
where they were most wanted, and, leaving proper officers 
in command, proceeded with an increased force to join 
General Grant, at City Point. There was little that the 
navy could do there, except to keep the rebel rams in 
check, for a heavy barricade in the river barred all pro- 
gress toward Richmond. 

Porter remained at City Point until Lee surrendered 
and Richmond fell, giving what aid he could. When 
the war was ended, he applied to be detached from the 
North Atlantic Squadron, having seen the first and last 
gun of the war fired. During the whole war he was con- 
stantly in service ; and, although at times his mind and 
body required rest, he never applied for leave of absence. 
He received the thanks of Congress for the Fort Fisher 
affair, and those of many of the State legislatures ; this 
being the fourth vote of thanks received from Congress 
during the war, including the general one for the capture 
of New Orleans. 

Admiral Porter possesses in an eminent degree all 
those distinguished qualities found in a great and success- 
ful commander. Of consummate nautical skill, he adds to 



382 VICE-ADMIEAL DAVID D. PORTER. 

it an originality of conception and a boldness of execu 
tion that always ensure success. Joined to all these is an 
inflexibility of purpose that nothing can move. Having 
once made up his mind to a course, he will admit of no 
impossibilities, but drives toward his object with a fierce- 
ness and power that bear down all opposition. Buona- 
parte said that moral force is half, even when every thing 
seems to depend on hard blows. All this is true ; yet 
it is a force which few can calculate. The power to do 
this, Porter possesses in an eminent degree. A bold and 
confident bearing, where others would fail — the assur- 
ance of victory which he exhibits to his own men, and at 
the same time to the enemy, impart courage and strength 
to the former, and corresj)onding doubt and vacillation to 
the latter. He is aware of this, and acts on the knowl- 
edge. Hence, his plans and attempts sometimes seem 
rash to those who do not comprehend this quality, and 
tliey attribute to luck what is due to genius. He is the 
beau ideal of a commander to sailors, who never seem to 
doubt that he will accomplish every thing which he un- 
dertakes. 

He takes care of his subordinates, and delights in their 
promotion as much as in his own. Just and generous to the 
brave, he is severe and unsparing to the timid and reluc- 
tant. Frank and outspoken, one always knows where to 
find him. A strong writer, his reports and journal 
would make an interesting book by themselves. The gov- 
ernment appreciated his gi-eat services and abilities by 
making him Vice- Admiral, so that he now stands next to 
Farragut in rank, and in time will, doubtless, occupy 
his place. 

At present, he is President of the Naval School a 
Annapolis. 



CHAPTER XV. 

COMMANDER WILLIAM B. GUSHING. 

HIS KATIYITY. — ENTERS THE NAVAL ACADEMY. — HIS EESIGNATIOX. — ENTERS 
THE NAVAL SERVICE. — EXPEDITION AGAINST FRANKLIN, IN VIRGINIA. — 
A SECOND EXPEDITION. — LOSES HIS VESSEL. ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE WIL- 
MINGTON PILOTS. — TAKES A FORT BY ASSAULT. — COMMANDS A GUNBOAT 
IN THE NANSEMOND. — A SEVERE BATTLE. — CHARGES REBEL CAVALRY. — 
ANECDOTES OF HIXI. — DESTROYS A BLOOKADE-EUNNEE. — PLANS THE DE- 
STRUCTION OF THE ALBEMARLE BY A TORPEDO. — HIS BOLDNESS AND SUC- 
CESS. — MIRACULOUS ESCAPE. COMPLIMENTARY LETTER OF THE SECRETARY 

OF THE NAVY. — SENT TO DESTROY THE RALEIGH. — TAKES PART IN THE 
BOMBARDMENT OF FORT FISHER. — HIS PRESENT POSITION. 

It is seldom that a man is given the command of a 
ship who had seen so little sea-service as Gushing did be- 
fore one was entrusted to him. 

William B. CusnmG was bom in Wisconsin, in the 
year 1842, and entered the Naval Academy in 1857, 
w^here he remained four years. He received his appoint- 
ment from New York State, though he claims Pennsyl- 
vania as his residence. In March, 1861, he resigned, 
under circumstances that did not promise much for his 
naval fame. 

But the breaking out of the war opened to him a field 
of distinction, and he applied for service, promising the 
Secretary of the Navy that he would prove worthy the 
confidence reposed in him. From that time, the Secre- 



384 COMMANDER WILLIAM B. CUSIimG. 

tary took a personal interest in him, seeming to regard 
him as his protege. Attached to the North Atlantic 
Blockading Squadron, he soon exhibited that daring 
spirit and love of perilous adventure which marked his 
career throughout the war. 

In October of this year, Acting Rear- Admiral Lee 
put him in command of the gunboat Ellis, in the expedi- 
tion against Franklin, Virginia, and for his bravery and 
skill he was recommended by him to the Department. The 
next month he entered the New River Inlet^ for the pur- 
pose of capturing vessels, with the town of Jackson- 
ville, and destroying salt-works, &c. He was completely 
successful, capturing the place and three vessels ; but on 
his return he got aground, just after he had driven the 
enemy from two pieces of artillery with which they had 
opened on him at close range. After trying in vain to 
get the steamer afloat, and knowing that the enemy would 
soon be on him, in overwhelming force, he took every 
thing out of her but her pivot-gun and coal and ammu- 
nition, and, sending it aboard one of his prize schooners, 
told the crew to follow. He then called for six volun- 
teers to remain with him and fight that single gun to the 
last They at once stepped forward, though they knew 
that certain death awaited them. He then ordered the 
schooner to drop down the river, and, if she saw he was 
overpowered, to proceed on her way back. 

Early next morning, the enemy opened on him from 
four different points, exposing him to a terrible cross-fire 
which cut him up fearfully. It was an heroic spectacle 
to see that little band of half a dozen stand in that 
fiery tempest, and work that single gun which had 
to be tm-ned in every direction. Gushing soon saw 
it was a hopeless fight, and he must decide on one 



A GALLANT FIGHT. 385 

of two alternatives — surrender, or pull in an open boat 
for a mile and a half under the hostile fire. Scorn- 
ing to do the first, he resolved on the second — and train- 
ing his gun on the enemy to go off when the flames 
reached it, and firing the steamer in five places, he left her 
with her battle-flag still flying, and started down the 
liver. The brave fellows bent to their oars with a mil, 
and he succeeded in reaching the schooner in safety, and 
made sail for the sea. It was low water on the bar, 
over which the surf was rolling with a deafening sound, 
and the schooner struck bottom several times ; but the 
wind forced her over, and in four hours she reached 
Beaufort in safety. 

He was again commended to the Department for 
" his courage, coolness, and gallantry." 

Early next January, Acting Rear- Admiral Lee al- 
lowed him to undertake an enterprise that he himself 
had planned — which was the capture of Wilmington 
pilots. He failed in the attempt, owing, as he said, 
to his schooner getting becalmed three times in shore, 
at the points where he desired to act. He, however, 
determined not to retm'u without accomplishing some- 
thing, and, learning that there was a pilot station thirty 
miles below Fort Caswell, made sail for it, reaching it 
on the 5th. At eight o'clock that night, he took three 
cutters and twenty-five men, and crossing tlie bar kept 
on quietly up the river in hopes of capturing pilots, 
and also some schooners which he heard were there. 
But he had proceeded but a half mile, when he was 
observed from shore, and a volley of musketry poured 
into his boats. He immediately ordered the prows 
turned to the beach, and landing his men formed them 
about two hundred yards from the point from which 

25 



386 COMMANDER WILLIAM B. GUSHING. 

the fire came, and shouted : " Forward, double-quick, 
charge ! " He did not know on what he was charging 
in the darkness, but he pressed forward with his brave 
two dozen, till he cleared a piece of wood in front, 
when he suddenly came upon a fort, with camp fires 
blazing brightly through the gloom. Nothing daunted 
at this unexpected sight, he still shouted, "Forward, 
charge !" The enemy thinking that at least a regiment 
was upon them, turned and fled — escaping over one 
side of the fort, as Gushing entered the other. He 
never fired a shot. He found he had captured an earth- 
work, surrounded by a ditch ten feet broad, and five 
feet deep — with a blockhouse in the centre, pierced for 
musketiy. It was held by a company of infantry, 
who fled in such haste, that they left all their stores, 
clothing, ammunition, and part of their arms. Destroy- 
ing what he could not bring ofi^, he then proceeded up 
the river, where he had another skirmish, when, getting 
out of ammunition, he returned. 

In the spring. General Peck, stationed at Norfolk, 
heard of the advance against him of Longstreet with a 
heavy force, and telegraphed to Lee to send him some 
gunboats. These were immediately forwarded, under the 
command of Lieutenants Lamson and Gushing. Here, 
on the 14th of April, the latter had a severe engage- 
ment with a rebel battery, which he at last silenced, 
though with the loss of ten of his crew. He received 
eight raking shots in this fierce contest, but fortunately 
his engine was not injured, and he reported : " I can 
assure you, that the Barney and her crew are still in 
good fighting trim, and will beat the enemy, or sink at 
oui' post." He and Lamson did Peck good service and 
prevented the enemy from crossing the river. 



A BOLD EXPEDITION. 387 

Hearing on the 21st tliat a boat from the Stepping 
Stones had been decoyed on shore by a white hand- 
kerchief and then fired into, he determined to avenge the 
treacherous act. Organizing a boat expedition, com- 
posed of seven boats, and manned with ninety sailors, 
he in the afternoon put off, and, under cover of the 
fire of the vessels, landed with one 12-pound howitzer. 
Leaving a part of his force to guard the boats, he boldly 
marched inland, and, setting on fire three houses with 
their adjoining barns, moved towards Chuckatuck Vil- 
lage, three miles distant, where four hundi'ed cavalry 
were posted. Driving in their pickets, he secured a 
mule cart, and, " toggling the trail-rope of the howitzer 
to the rear," started the animals on a trot and shouted 
" Forward, double-quick ! " Driving everything before 
him, he at half past four entered the town. Suddenly 
he saw a body of cavalry coming down the street at a 
sabre charge, and shouting like madmen. Quickly un- 
limbering his howitzer, he poured in a round of grape, 
while at the same time his little band gave a volley of 
musketry. This frightened the mules, which rushed, 
cart and all, directly into the rebel ranks, taking all the 
ammunition with them. Giving them the chai'ge already 
in the howitzer. Gushing again cried, " Fonvard ! " and with 
a cheer the sailors drove down the street, clearing it with a 
bound, and recovering the cart and ammunition. Re- 
maining master of the town the rest of the day, he 
towards evening returned leisurely to his boats, having 
lost but one man. 

For his services here, in the Nansemond, he received 
a congratulatory letter from the Secretary of the Navy, 
in which the latter said : " Your conduct adds lustre to 
the character you had already established for valor in 



388 (X)MMANDER WILLIAM B. GUSHING. 

the face of the enemy." Lamson also gave him high 
commendation. 

Many anecdotes are told of him while in service here, 
illustrative of his daring, energetic spii'it. Uneasy at 
General Peck's quietness, he urged him to make some 
decided move. The latter replied that he could not, for 
lack of information. Gushing replied that he would 
furnish him with some ; and organizing a party he sur- 
j^rised and captured a small force of the enemy, and 
forwarded the prisoners to Peck with his compliments, 
saying, that he sent him some information. 

At another time, he, with Lamson and the quarter- 
master, were out reconnoitering, when they came upon 
three cavalry men, whom they captured. Mounting 
the horses, they kept on and soon came in sight of 
the main force. The commander of it, thinking them 
to be the advance of a large body of cavalry, ordered 
the bugle to sound the recall. Lamson and Gushing at 
once halted, but the horse of the quartermaster, hearing 
the bugle-call, immediately started off towards the rebel 
line. Being no horseman, the sailor could not manage 
him, and, finding that he was taking him straight to the 
enemy in spite of all his efforts, drew a pistol from the 
holster, and, placing the muzzle to the animal's head, 
shot him dead. He then took off the bridle and saddle, 
and shouldering them moved back to Lamson and Gush- 
ing. The latter laughingly asked him what was the 
matter. The quartermaster replied, with a sailor's usual 
emphatic language, that he never again would have any- 
thing to do with a craft that he could neither steer, 
turn about, nor stop. 

The cavalry men Gushing sent to Peck, saying, that 
he forwarded more information. He was afterwards 



EAM ALBEMAELE. 389 

placed in command of the United States steamer Sho- 
kokon. In August, a few miles from Fort Fisker, ke 
saw tke Anglo-rebel steamer Hebe askore, and tke 
Nipkon near by, making prej)arations to board ker. 
But it was blowing a gale from tke nortkeast, so tkat tke 
Nipkon's boats were swamped, and tkeir crew drowned 
or taken prisoners. He at once sent a boat in, and 
rescued two of tke men. He tken lay off, and, under a 
tremendous fire from tke rebel artillery, continued to 
tki^ow skells into tke steamer, until ke set ker on 
iu'e, and left ker a wreck. He also destroyed anotker 
blockade runner about tke same time, and exkibited a 
vigilance and energy tkat brougkt tke kigkest commen- 
dations from kis superiors. 

But tke ackievement tkat kas won for kim tke 
greatest renown, botk for tke skill witk wkick it was 
planned, tke consummate daring and coolness witk wkick 
it was carried out, and tke great results accomplisked by 
it — entitling kim to a place among tkose so muck above 
kim in rank — was tke destruction of tke rebel ram 
Albemarle. 

Tkis powerful iron-clad kad, in tke spring, come out 
of tke Boanoke Biver, and boldly attacked our naval 
force near Pl}Tiioutk, sinking tke Soutkfield, disabling 
tke Miami, and killing tke gallant commander Flusser. 
One kundred-pound rifle skot bad no effect on ker 
mailed sides, and ske tkreatened to get control of tke 
waters of tke Albemarle Sound. At all events, ker 
presence tkere required a large naval force on our part. 
Melanctkon Smitk kad an engagement witk ker in May, 
and an attempt was made to destroy ker witk torpedoes, 
but ske bade defiance to all our efforts, and was a con- 
stant menace to our fleet in tke Sound. It was, tkere- 



390 COMMANDER WILLIAM B. CUSHIKG. 

fore, of the utmost importance she should in some way 
be disposed of. Nothing, however, was effected, and in 
the summer Lieutenant Gushing was sent to New York 
to Admiral Gregory, to have a torpedo boat constructed, 
with which he proposed to put an end to this appar- 
ently invulnerable monster. He found one contrived by 
Boggs, who was under Gregory in the port of New 
York, which, with such alterations as he suggested, he 
thought would answer the puipose. Having completed 
it to his satisfaction, he took it to Albemarle Sound, 
and, on the 27th of October, prepared for his desperate 
undertaking. The ram, at this time, was lying at Ply- 
mouth, and, after dark, he with thirteen officers and 
men, part of them volunteers, started in a steam-launch 
for that place. The distance from the mouth of the 
river to where the ram lay, was about eight miles. The 
stream was only about a rifle-shot across, and lined 
with pickets, which rendered his chance of reaching the 
ram undiscovered very improbable. He took with him 
a cutter, so that in case he was not observed he could 
land at the wharf, board the ram, and, cutting loose her 
fastenings, bring her safe out of the river. 

The night was dark and rainy, just fitted for his pur- 
pose, and he put off with strong hopes of success. He 
proceeded cautiously on his way, passed the pickets with- 
out giving any alarm, and arrived within a mile of the 
place without being discovered, when he came upon the 
wreck of the Southfield, sunk the spring previous by the 
i^lbemarle. This was surrounded by schooners, and he 
knew it was very doubtful if he would be able to pass 
them unseen. If he did not, he ordered the cutter to 
cast off and board the wreck, which he understood was 
mounted with a jrun that commanded the bend of the 



ATTACKS THE ALBEMARLK 391 

river. But, by an extraordinary piece of good fortune, 
he passed unnoticed, though he steamed 90 near he could 
have thrown a biscuit aboard. All seemed locked in 
sleep, for a dead silence reigned. 

Fate thus far had smiled on his desperate undertaking, 
and, keeping cautiously on, he soon saw, by the light of a 
large fire on shore, the dark form of the ram tied up to 
the wharf, and surrounded by a pen of logs thirty feet 
broad, placed there on purpose to keep any daring craft 
from running into her while at her moorings. He now 
steered straight for her, but, as his boat came within the 
circle of light from the fire on shore, it was seen, and im- 
mediately the guard hailed, " What boat is that ? " Gush- 
ing returning an evasive answer, they sprung their rattles, 
and, rushing to the rope of the alarm-bell, startled every 
sleeper with its clang. It was now about three o'clock, 
and dark as Erebus. Gushing immediately ordered the 
cutter to cast loose and drop below. In the mean time 
the guard poured a volley of musketry into the shadowy 
object that was moving so swiftly and in such mysterious 
silence towards them. The next moment the dark waters 
gleamed in the sudden blaze of a cannon, and a shower 
of grape whistled over the heads of the gallant little crew. 
Every minute now was fraught with destiny. The crew 
of the ram were already at their quarters, and Gushing 
knew that he had not a minute to waste. The air was 
alive with shot, and shouts, and cries of alarm ; but, as 
he approached the black mass, towering high above him 
in the gloom, he saw by the course he was going that he 
would not strike her fair, and perhaps not reach her, over 
the intervening logs — so he gave the quiet order to steam 
past. As he stood in his little launch, amid that wild 
uproar, his men saw by the flash of the enemy's guns 



392 COMMANDEE WILLIAM B. CUSHLNG. 

that his face, though set like iron, was calm and tranquil. 
Paymaster Swan fell by his side, three bullets pierced his 
clothes, but not a movement of haste or alarm was seen 
in him. The scene, the hour, the issues at stake, and the 
deadly peril awaiting them, made that boat, with its gal- 
lant commander and crew, an object at once fearful and 
sublime. 

Steaming swiftly past the huge structure, after giving 
the crew one charge of canister. Gushing, though he 
knew it gave the enemy time to prepare to receive him, 
shot up the river till he could make a complete circuit, 
then wheeling, came down with all steam full on the ram. 
As the launch struck the logs it forced them half way 
back to the ram by the severity of the blow, and rumiing 
up on them, rested there. In an instant, the torpedo 
boom was lowered, and Gushing, by a vigorous pull, suc- 
ceeded "in diving it under the overhang," and at the 
same time exploded it. At the same moment a heavy 
gun, which had been depressed so as to bear on him, 
was fired, and the huge shot crashed through his boat, 
while the water flung up by the torpedo came rush- 
ing like a cataract into it, filling and completely dis- 
abling it. 

The rebels, now only fifteen feet ofi^, poured a terrible 
fire into the little crew, and a hoarse voice shouted out, 
"Do you surrender?" "No!" thundered back Gush- 
ing, and the firing went on, dropping the men on every 
side, yet, strange to say, missing Gushing. Again came 
the call to surrender, and again Gushing with a shout of 
defiance refused. Finding the launch useless, and seeing 
that to remain in it longer was madness, he told the men 
to save themselves the best way they could. Then, coolly 
taking off his coat and shoes, he sprang overboard into 



A NARROW ESCAPE. 393 

the water, and swam with others for the middle of the 
river, while the shot fell like hailstones around him. He 
now struck boldly down stream, and was soon out of the 
reach of the fire. When about half a mile below the 
town, he came upon Acting-Master's-Mate Woodman, 
also swimming, but much exhausted. Gushing cheered 
him up, and with his fast-failing strength strove to get 
him ashore. But the poor fellow at length gave entirely 
out, and, bidding his commander " good-by," sank to the 
bottom. Gushing at length reached the shore, but so 
completely exhausted that he was unable to drag him- 
self out of the water, and rested with his head on the 
beach till daylight. He then crept into a swamp near 
the fort, and lay doAvn, wet and weary, to recover his 
wasted strength. A path ran a few feet from where he 
lay, but the autumnal foliage hid him from view. 
While reclining there, he heard voices approa.ching, and 
soon two officers from the Albemarle passed him, and he 
judged, by their conversation, that he had destroyed the 
vessel. This somewhat revived him, and he soon arose 
and started on, still keeping the swamp, and travelled for 
several hours, till well below the to-wn, when he came 
out. Meeting a negro, he questioned him, and, finding 
he could trust him, sent him back to Plymouth to find 
out the truth about the ram. 

One would think that he might have waited a few 
hours for the news, and made use of the negro to aid 
him to escape, or furnish him with food to strengthen 
him. He was beset with foes, — a rebel prison, and 
perhaps death, awaited him ; but these he could not 
think of until he had heard whether his desperate enter- 
prise had succeeded. Nothing shows the indomitable 
character of the man more than this. Death alone can 



394 COMMANDEK WILLIAM B. CUSHING. 

conquer such an iron will. Right there on the edge of 
the swamp he lay, until that negro returned and told 
him the ram was at the bottom of the river. He then 
got his direction, and, taking to another swamp to avoid 
capture, kept on down the river until he came to a creek, 
where he found a skiff belonging to a picket of the ene- 
my. Loosing this, he shoved off, and, keeping the 
stream, finally came out into the bay. 

Footsore and weary he had toiled on, and now, as 
night approached, pulled slowly towards the ships. It 
was a long row, and he did not reach the Valley City 
till eleven o'clock at night. His appearance on board, 
all alone, created the greatest astonishment. He was 
the bearer of his own despatches, and reported the Albe- 
marle destroyed. 

Only one man escaped besides himself, and he in 
another direction. The rest were all killed, drowned, or 
taken prisoners. When it is considered that Gushing at 
this time was only twenty-one years of age, one is 
astonished at the coolness, nerve, and desperate daring 
of the man. The act would have been the sublimest 
heroism in a veteran ; but in this youth it was almost 
miraculous. 

The Secretary of the Navy wrote him the following 
complimentary letter : 

Navy Department, J 
November 9, 1864. ) 

Sir : Your report of October SOtii has been received, announcing the 
destruction of the rebel iron-clad steamer Albemarle, on the night of the 
27th ultimo, at Plymouth, North Carolina. 

When, last summer, the Department selected you for this important 
and perilous undertaking, and sent you to Rear-Admiral Gregory, at New 
York, to make the necessary preparations, it left the details to yourself to 
perfect. To you and your brave comrades, therefore, belongs the exclusive 
credit which attaches to this daring achievement. The destruction of so 



A COMPLIMENTARY LETTEE. 395 

formidable a vessel, which had resisted the combined attack of a nmnber 
of our steamers, is an important event touching our future naval and mili- 
tary operations. The judgment, as well as the daring courage displayed, 
would do honor to any officer, and redounds to the credit of one of twenty- 
one years of age. 

On four previous occasions, the Department has had the gratification 
of expressing its approbation of your conduct, in the face of the enemy, 
and in each instance there was manifested by you the same heroic daring 
and innate love of perilous adventure ; a mind determined to succeed, and 
not to be deterred by any apprehensions of defeat. 

The Department has presented your name to the President for a vote of 
thanks, that you may be promoted one grade, and your comrades, also, 
shall receive recognition. 

It gives me pleasure to recall the assurance you gave me at the com- 
mencement of your active, professional career, that you would prove your- 
self worthy of the confidence reposed in you and of the service to which 
you were appointed. I trust you may be preserved through further trials ; 
and it is for yourself to determine, whether, after entering upon so auspici- 
ous a career, you shall, by careful study and self-discipline, be prepared for 
a wider sphere of usefulness, on the call of your country. 
Very respectfully, &c., 

GIDEON WELLES, 
Sea'etary of the Navy, 
Lieutenant "W. B. Cushtng, U. S. N., 

Washington. 



The phrase, " The Department has presented your 
name for a vote of thanks, that you may be promoted 
one grade," seems cold, in view of the service he had 
performed. Still, he was very young to hold the rank 
he did, but such a man is older than mere years 
can make him. He who could accomj)lish what he did, 
and in the maimer he did, might be entrusted with a 
frigate in a broadside engagement with any vessel of 
equal size that ever floated. He had actually achieved 
more than many a squadron in a year's service. His 
name was now heard in every man's mouth, coupled 
with the warmest eulogies on his gallantry and heroism. 
Cushing's success in destroying this formidable ram, nat- 



396 COimANDER WILLIAM B. GUSHING. 

urally caused him to be selected to perform a similar un 
dertaking tlie following summer. Another rebel iron-clad, 
the Kaleigh, was knoAvn to have been built, and, though 
there were rumors that she had been wrecked, it was 
not certain that they were true, and Gushing proposed 
to settle the matter by actual experiment. One thing 
was certain, if she were not destroyed, he would ascer- 
tain the fact, and in all human probability end her ex- 
istence before he finished his investigations. We will 
allow him to give in his own words the results of this 
expedition. He says in his despatch to the Secretary 
of the Navy : 

Sir : In consequence of permission received from you to attempt the 
destruction of the iron-clad ram Ealeigh, I proceeded to the blockade at 
that point, with the intention of doing so, judging it prudent to make a 
thorough reconnoissance first, to determine her position. 

I left this ship on the night of the 33d, in the first cutter, with two 
ofla.cers (Acting Ensign J. D. Jones, and Acting Master's Mate William 
Howorth,) and fifteen men, and started in for the west bar. I succeeded 
in passing the forts, and also the town and batteries of Smithville, and 
pulled swiftly up the river. As we neared the Zeke Island batteries, we 
narrowly escaped being run down by a steamer, and soon after came near 
detection from the guard boat ; evading them all, we continued our course. 
As we came abreast of the Old Brunswick batteries, some fifteen miles from 
the starting point, the moon came out brightly and discovered us to the 
sentinels on the banks, who hailed at once, and soon commenced firing 
muskets, and raising an alarm by noises and signal lights. We pulled at 
once for the other shore, obliquing so as to give them to understand that 
we were going down ; but, as soon as I found that we were out of the moon's 
rays, we continued our course straight up, thereby baffling the enemy and 
gaining safety. When within seven miles from Wilmington, a good place 
was selected on the shore ; the boat hauled up, and into a marsh, and the 
men stowed along the bank. It was now nearly day, and I had determined 
to watch the river, and, if possible, to capture some one from whom inform- 
ation could be gained. Steamers soon began to ply up and down, the 
flagship of Commodore Lynch, the Gadkin, passing within two hundred 
yards. She is a wooden propeller steamer of about three hundred tons, no 
masts, one smoke-stack, clear deck, English build, with awning spread fore 
and aft, and moimting only two guns ; did not seem to have many men. 



EXPEDITION AFTER THE RAM RALEIGH. 397 

Nine steamers passed in all, three of tliem being fine, large blockade run- 
ners. Just after dark, as we were preparing to move, two boats rounded 
the point, and the men, thinking it an attack, behaved in the coolest man- 
ner. Both boats were captured, but proved to contain a fishing party 
returning to Wilmington. From them I obtained all the information that 
I desired, and made them act as my guides in my further explorations of 
the river. 

Three miles below the city I found a row of obstructions, consisting of 
iron-pointed spiles, driven in at an angle, and only to be passed by going 
into the channel left open, about two hundred yards from a heavy battery 
that is on the left bank. 

A short distance nearer the city is a ten-gun navy battery, and another 
line of obstructions, consisting of diamond-shaped crates, filled and sup- 
ported in position by two rows of spiles ; the channel, in this instance, 
being within fifty yards of the guns. A third row of obstructions and 
another battery, complete the upper defences of the city. The river is also 
obstructed by spiles at Old Brunswick, and there is a very heavy earth- 
work there. Discovering a creek in the cypress swamp, we pulled, or 
rather poled up it for some time, and at length came to a road, which, 
upon being explored, proved to connect with 'the main road from Fort 
Fisher and the Sounds to Wilmington. Dividing my party, I left half to 
hold the cross-road and creek, while I marched the remainder, some two 
miles, to the main road and stowed away. About 11.30 a. m., a mounted 
soldier appeared with a mail-bag, and seemed much astonished when he 
was invited to dismount ; but, as I assured him that I would be responsible 
for any delay that might take place, he kindly consented to shorten his 
journey. About two hundred letters were captured, and I gained such 
information as I desired of the fortifications and enemy's force. An expe- 
dition was contemplated against Fisher by our army about this time, and the 
information was of much value. There are thirteen hundred men in the 
fort; and the unprotected rear that our troops were to storm, is com- 
manded by four light batteries. I enclose rebel requisitions, and report of 
provisions on hand. 

I now waited for the courier from the other direction, in order that we 
might get the papers that were issued at 1 p. m. in Wilmington ; but, just 
as he hove in sight, a blue jacket exposed himself, and the fellow took to 
instant flight. My pursuit on the captured horse was rendered useless, from 
the lack of speed, and the fellow escaped after a race of some two miles. 

In the mean time, we captured more prisoners, and discovered that a 
store was located about two miles distant, and, being sadly in need of some 
grub, Mr. Howorth, dressed in the courier's coat and hat, and mounted 
upon his horse, proceeded to market. He returned vnth milk, chickens, 
and eggs, having passed every one, in and out of service, without suspicion, 
though conversing with many. At 6 p. m., after destroying a portion of 



398 COMMANDER WILLIAM B. CUSHTNG. 

the telegraph wire, we rejoined the party at the creek, and proceeded down, 
reaching the river at dark. In trying to land our prisoners upon an island, 
a steamer passed so close that we had to jump overboard, and hold our 
heads below the boat to prevent being seen. As we had more prisoners 
than we could look out for, I determined to put a portion of them in small 
boats, and set them adrift without oars or sails, so that they could not get 
ashore in time to injure us. This was done, and we proceeded down the 
river, keei^ing a bright lookout for vessels, in order to bum them, if possi- 
ble. None were found, but I found a pilot to take me to where the ram 
Raleigh was said to be wrecked. She is indeed destroyed, and nothing 
now remains of her above water. The iron-clad North Carolina, Captain 
Muse commanding, is in commission, and at anchor off the city. She is 
but little relied upon, and would not stand long against a monitor. Both 
torpedo boats were destroyed in the great cotton fire some time since. One 
was very near completion. As I neared the forts at the east bar, a boat 
was detected, making its way rapidly to the shore, and captured after a 
short chase. It contained sis persons, four of whom were soldiers. Taking 
them all into one boat, I cut theirs adrift, but soon found that twenty-six 
persons were more than a load. By questions, I discovered that at least 
one guard boat was afloat, containing seventy-five musketeers, and situated 
in the narrow passage between Federal Point and Zeke Island. As I had 
to pass them, I determined to engage the enemy at once, and capture the 
boat if possible. 

The moon was now bright, and as we came nearer the entrance, I saw 
what we supposed to be one large boat just off the battery ; but as we pre- 
pared to sail into her, and while about twenty yards distant, three more 
boats suddenly shot out from that side, and five more from the other, com- 
pletely blocking up the sole avenue of escape. I immediately put the helm 
down, but found a large sail-boat filled with soldiers to wiadward, and 
keeping us right in the glimmer of the moon's rays. In this trying posi- 
tion, both officers and men acted with true coolness and bravery. 

Not the stroke of an oar was out of time ; there was no thought of sur- 
render, but we determined to outwit the enemy, or fight it out. Suddenly 
turning the boat's head, we dashed off as if for the west bar, and, by throw- 
ing the dark side of the boat towards them, were soon lost to view. The 
bait was eagerly seized, and their whole line dashed off at once to intercept 
us. Then again turning, by the extraordinary pulling of my sailors I 
gained the passage of the island, and, before the enemy could prevent, put 
the boat into the breakers on Caroline Shoals. The rebels dared not follow, 
and we were lost to view, before the guns of the forts, trained on the chan- 
nel, could be brought to bear upon our unexpected position. Deeply 
loaded as we were, the boat carried us through in fine style, and we reached 
the Cherokee just as day was breaking, and after an absence from the 
squadron of two days and three nights. 



ATTACK ON FOET FISHER. 399 

I am now posted in regard to the city, land, and water defences, and 
everything that it will interest the Department to know. 

In the operations against Fort Fisher the next winter, 
he commanded the Monticello. In the first attack, he was 
sent to buoy out the channel, and afterwards took paii; 
in the bombardment. In the second attack, after guard- 
ing and assisting the troops in landing, he joined in the 
shelling of the fort until the final assault, when, at the 
head of forty men, he landed, and, with Lieutenant 
Porter commanding another force, led the storming party. 
When Lieutenant Porter fell. Gushing became the senior 
officer, and at once rallied as many men as could be 
gathered in the confusion, and placed them in the 
trenches, thus relieving regiments that were needed in 
the front. 

He was afterwards sent by Admkal Porter to receive 
the capitulation of Fort Caswell, but found it deserted. 
Hoisting the national flag upon it, he proceeded to Lit- 
tle Eiver, North Carolina, and surprised and captured 
some rebel soldiers. 

But all naval operations north, of any importance, end- 
ing with the fall of Fort Fisher, Cushing's active career 
was ended. The collapse of the rebellion soon after left 
him, like so many other naval officers, in the rank and 
position they were to occupy in time of peace. 

Promoted to commander, he was attached to the 
Pacific Squadron, and is now on duty in the Pacific 
Ocean. Still a young man, he has a bright future 
before him, and if he lives will doubtless reach the 
highest rank in the navy. Bold, daring, and selfcol- 
lected under the most trying circumstances — equal to 
any emergency — never unbalanced by an unexpected 
contingency, he possesses those great qualities always 



400 COMMANDEE WILLIAM B. CUSHING. 

found in a successfal commander. No man in our navy, 
at Lis age, has ever won so brilliant a reputation, and it 
will be his own fault if it is not increased until he has 
no superior. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

REAR-ADMIRAL STEPHEN C. ROWAN. 

HIS NATIVITY. — APPOINTED MIDSHIPMAN. — CEUISE PvOUND THE "VTOELD. — OK 

DUTY IN NEW YORK. — PASSED MIDSHIPMAN. — SEBVES IN THE WEST INDIES. 

HIS SERVICES IN THE FLORIDA WAR. — JOINS THE SOUTH SEA EXPLORING EX- 
PEDITION. — PROMOTED TO LIEUTENANT. — ON THE COAST SURVEY. — CRUISES 
OX COAST OF BRAZIL AND IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. — SERVES UNDER DUPONT 

ON THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA. MEXICO. — AT MONTEREY. — AT MAZAT- 

LAN. — LAND MARCH AND FIGHT WITH MEXICANS. — IS "WOUNDED. — OTHER 
SERVICES DURING THE WAR. — INSPECTOR OF ORDNANCE IN NEW YORK 
NAVY YARD. — COMMANDS EEOEIVLNG SHIP NORTH CAROLINA. — AT BREAK 
ING OUT OF THE REBELLION PUT IN COMMAND OF THE PAWNEE. — COVERS 
WASHINGTON, ETC. — SENT TO RELIEVE SUMTER. — IN THE POTOMAC. — FIRES 
THE FIRST NAVAL GUN IN THE WAR. — MATTHIAS POINT. — GALLANT CON- 
DUCT. — FORT HATTERAS. — COMMANDS A DIVISION IN BURNSIDE'S EXPEDI- 
TION. — DESTROYS THE REBEL FLEET. — A DARING ACT. — AFTER SERVICES. — 
COMMANDS THE FLEET. — COOPERATES WITH BURNSIDE IN THE ATTACK 
ON NEWBERN. — ORDERED TO FIT OUT THE ROANOKE. — COMMANDS THE 
IRONSIDES UNDER DAHLGREN AT CHARLESTON.— HIS SERVICES. — A GAL- 
LANT FIGHT. PROMOTED TO COMMODORE. — THE IRONSIDES DAMAGED BY 

A TORPEDO. — ROWAN RETURNS WITH HER TO PHILADELPHIA FOR RE- 
PAIRS. — PROMOTED TO REAR ADMIRAL. — NOW COMMANDS THE NORFOLK 
NAVY YARD. 

Admiral Rowan, though he now claims Pennsylvania 
as his place of residence, is a native of Ireland, and was 
appointed midshipman in the Navy from Ohio, in Feb- 
ruary, 1826. Though an Irishman by birtli, he came to 

26 



402 KEAR-ADMIRAL STEPHEN C. ROWAN. 

tliis country when a mere child. His first cruise was in 
the Vincennes, Captain Finch commanding, who after- 
wards changed his name and became Commodore Bolton, 
In the Pacific Ocean and East Indies, he was learning 
his profession for four years. From Callao, this vessel 
sailed by way of the South Sea Islands, and, keeping on 
to the Cape of Good Hope, thence to St. Helena, com- 
pleted a voyage round the world — the first ever made by 
a national vessel. In 1830 he returned home, and for 
the two following years was attached to a cutter in the 
waters of New York. In 1832 he was promoted to 
passed midshipman, and ordered to the West Indies, 
where he served as acting master or acting lieutenant, for 
four years. At the breaking out of the Florida war he 
was attached to the Vandalia, and, when the news of the 
massacre of Dade's command was received, the ship 
hurried to Tampa B ay to aid the small garrison stationed 
there, in case of an attack by the Indians. Here he was 
busily employed in boat expeditions along the coast, to 
prevent the Indians from passing from the Withlacooche 
to the everglades. In one of these expeditions, he united 
his little command with Colonel, late Major General Per- 
sifer Smith, and marched into the interior in search of 
Indians. In 1836 he joined by invitation the South Sea 
exploring expedition, and remamed attached to it until, 
after various delays and vexatious changes, it was the 
next year finally reorganized, when he was ordered to 
other duty. 

The spring of this year he was promoted to lieuten- 
ant, and in the following spring ordered to the coast sur- 
vey, in the duties of which he was engaged, when he was 
transferred to the line-of-battle ship Delaware, Captain 
McCaulev, bearing the flag of Commodore Morris, which 



SEEVIOES IN MEXICO. 403 

cruised on the coast of Brazil and in the Mediterranean 
for nearly six years. It will be seen, from the foregoing 
succinct account, that young Rowan had long cruises, 
and saw but little shore duty. For the first twenty years 
of his naval life, he was afloat most of the time. 

From 1844 to. 1845, he served on board the Ontario, 
and, the three subsequent years, in the Cyane, under the 
then Captain Dupont, on the Coast of California and 
Mexico, or to the close of the Mexican war. He helped 
to hoist the American flag at Monterey, and with the 
crew of his ship, built a blockhouse and stockade for 
its defence. He afterwards blockaded Mazatlan — com- 
manded the naval brigade under Stockton and Kearney, 
on the march from San Diego to Los Angelos, and, at the 
latter place, defeated the enemy. 

In a fight at the Mesa with the Mexicans, he was 
wounded, but kept the field, and not long after com- 
manded a boat expedition in a night attack on the 
advanced post of the enemy, near Mazatlan. He also 
bombarded a small town on the Mexican coast, and 
destroyed two gunboats. 

When Dupont marched to the relief of Lieutenant 
Heywood, then closely besieged by a superior force. 
Rowan joined him with a body of sailors from the 
Cyane, and helped to swell the shout that went up in 
reply to the cheers of the beleaguered little band. 

After the close of the Mexican war, he was ordered 
to the Navy Yard of New York, as Inspector of Ord- 
nance, and organized that department. In 1852 he was 
detached fi'om this service, and placed in command of the 
Relief. He cruised in this vessel for three years, when he 
was promoted to the rank of commander by the Retiring 
Board, and put in charge of the receiving-ship North 



404 KEAE-ADMTEAL STEPHEN C. EOWAK 

Carolina, whicli position lie retained for three years, or till 
tlie close of 1857. The two subsequent years, he was on 
ordnance duty at the Navy Yard, New York. The year 
previous to the breaking out of the war, he was await- 
ing orders. When it actually occurred, he applied for 
service afloat, and, in January, 1861, was put in command 
of the Paw^nee, whose commander, being a southern .man, 
had resigned. The next month he ^vas ordered to Wash- 
ington, and his vessel became the strongest naval pro- 
tection to the Capital that we had in the Potomac, and 
the chief reliance in keeping this channel of communica- 
tion open. By order of General Scott, he covered the 
landing of our troops at Alexaudria, at the time that 
Ellsworth fell. 

Soon after, Rowan was ordered off Charleston, to 
cooperate with the army in landing stores for the gar- 
rison at Fort Sumter. He found in the offing the Baltic, 
under charter to the army, and the Harriet Lane. 

On the very morning of his arrival, the rebels 
opened fire on Sumter. The heavy boom of the cannon, 
as it rolled dow^n the bay, and the flashes that rent the 
darkness towards the rebel city, told him too well that 
the brave Anderson and his gallant little band had 
entered on their hopeless struggle. As the deepening 
roar made the waters tremble, he ordered the vessel to 
be run in, and anchored in the mouth of the nearest 
channel. As daylight broadened over the bay, and the 
tossing clouds of smoke were revealed, rent ever and 
anon by the terrific ex23losions, he could ha^'dly restrain 
himself from steaming boldly in and lying broadside 
to the enemy's batteries. He knew the smalluess of 
the garrison in Fort Sumter, and though he saw, by 
the puffs of smoke from its side, that the few men that 



SENT TO RELIEVE SUMTER. 405 

composed it were bravely battling for the old flag, be 
knew also that tbey could not long withstand tbe con- 
centrated Are of the batteries, with which they were 
assailed. He paced his deck with a stern and passionate 
step ; one moment resolved to brave the worst, and sail 
in, and lie alono;side of the fort ; but the next moment 
he checked himself, with the reflection that his orders 
did not permit such action on his part. Hoping, how- 
ever, that he might find some loophole in them that 
would justify him in such a case, he read them over 
again. His heart sunk within him as he saw that his 
orders were peremptory — no permission to act on his 
own judgment being given him. 

He was to await the arrival of the frigate, with 
means for carrying out the object of the expedition. 
He felt that he had no right, to hazard the only naval 
ship present in the opening fight, and thus derange the 
whole plan for reinforcing the fort. But it was a trying 
position for a gallant and intrepid commander like 
Rowan to be placed in. To stand within sight of the 
beleaguered garrison, whose desperate situation called to 
him so pleadingly for help, and listen to the frightful 
cannonading that he knew was steadily pounding the 
fort to pieces, and find his hands tied by orders that he 
dared not break, was far harder to bear than the con- 
centrated fire of a dozen batteries. 

While this fearful bombardment was going on, the 
preparations were completing rapidly as possible to re- 
inforce the garrison, and by next morning everything was 
ready, and the vessels waited only for the night to cover 
the movement. That was a long morning to Rowan, 
and he paced his deck impatiently. A little while after, 
as he stood watching the clouds of smoke that wra])ped 



406 EEAE-ADMIRAL STEPHEN C. EOWA^-. 

Sumter, ever and anon parted before tlie explosions of 
its own cannon, and was rejoicing to see liow gallantly 
Anderson was defending his post, there suddenly leaped 
up through the murky atmosphere a vast volume of 
flame, and the "fort is on fire" burst from his lips. It 
was true — help had come too late — and by two o'clocli 
the old flag came down, and the rebel flag went up 
amid the cheers of Charleston. 

Rowan's mission was now ended, and with a sad 
heart he turned the prow of his vessel north. On his 
arrival at Washington, he was directed to take on board 
a number of officers, and to receive further orders from 
Flag Officer Paulding. 

That same evening, the Pawnee steamed down the 
river, and the next evening, at eight o'clock, was along- 
side the navy yard wharf at Norfolk. The following 
morning, she left with the Cumberland in tow, and the 
work of destruction in the navy yard was begun. 

Paulding left the vessel at Old Point, and Rowan 
returned mth her to Washington. While lying at anchor 
off Alexandria, he was informed that the rebels were 
erecting batteries at Acquia Creek, to obstruct the free 
passage of the Potomac. He immediately volunteered 
to go down and attack them. The Government gave 
permission, and, at nine o'clock the next morning, he lay 
off the battery and opened his broadsides. The enemy 
replied, and all day long the thunder of the guns echoed 
up and down the Potomac, filling all hearts with anxi- 
ety. The sky in this direction had been full of omens 
for a long time ; but this was the fii'st open, hostile act. 
Just before sundown. Rowan hauled off, having been 
struck nine times. He thus had the honor of firing the 
first gun of the navy at the rebels. He afterwards con- 



A GALLANT ACT. 40*7 

tinued to blockade tlie river, and make reconuoissances 
along its banks. 

In the figlit at Matthias Point, in wliicli Ward was 
killed, Rowan sent a party on sliore, under Lieutenant 
Cliaplin, to assist in tlie attack. When tlie latter was 
compelled to retreat, lie first collected all kis men, 
" steady and cool," said Rowan, "among a perfect kail of 
musketry from hundreds of men." The last man left the 
shore with him, and not being able to swim to the boat 
with his musket. Lieutenant Chaplin took him on his 
shoulders, musket and all, and safely reached the boat 
without a scratch, save a musket-hole through the top 
of his cap. 

John Williams, captain of the maintop, while wait- 
ing for the retreating crew, told the sailors that every 
one must die on his thwarts, sooner than leave a man 
behind. The bullets dropped like hailstones in the 
boat, and one soon pierced his thigh. Another cut his 
flagstaff in two, letting the ensign fall. Though suffer- 
ing severely from his wound, he instantly seized it and 
waved it over his head in defiance, to show that his 
colors were not struck. 

But when the expedition under Stringham against 
Cape Hatteras was organized. Rowan was ordered to join 
it, and took part in the action that gave us possession 
of the rebel works, and the control of the Inlet. The 
Pawnee after the victory was ordered to remain on the 
spot, and Rowan fitted out an expedition which de- 
stroyed the fortifications, &c., at Acracoke Inlet. 

The Pawnee was afterwards ordered to Washington, 
and Rowan detached from her, and placed in command 
of the Brooklyn, at Philadelphia. He, however, had 
been in command of the latter but a short time, when 



408 EEAE-ADiHRAL STEPHEN C. EOWAN. 

he was ordered to Hampton Roads, to help Golds- 
borough organize a flotilla to operate in the sounds 
of North Carolina. He shared in all the perils and 
anxiety of what seemed at first this ill-fated expedition. 

After the engagement that gave us Roanoke Island, 
and sent the rebel fleet in flight up the sound, Rowan 
was selected to pui^sue the enemy, and complete the 
victory. The rebel vessels, seven in number, had taken 
refuge behind some works near Elizabeth City, about 
thirty-seven miles north. Rowan, who had command 
of a division, with the Delaware for his flagship, took 
such vessels as were fit for immediate service and could 
be sj)ared, and started on Sabbath morning to find 
the enemy. Seeing the smoke of two rebel steamers 
ahead, he gave chase, when they disappeared up the 
Pasquatank River. He followed after, but, night 
coming on, he anchored about fifteen miles below 
the city in the river. The inhabitants, never dream- 
ing that our vessels could pass the obstructions at 
Roanoke, were terrified at the news that they were 
approaching the place. 

The rebel gunboats were now fairly entrapped, and 
Rowan could take his own time in preparing for the 
attack. It was a beautiful night in which he lay at an- 
chor; not a cloud obscui-ed the sky, and the bright moon 
sailed serenely through the heavens, flooding with her 
mellow light the placid waters of the river and the little 
fleet of fourteen vessels riding quietly on its bosom. 
Rowan now called all the commanders on board his 
vessel, and told them that the enemy was either drawn 
up behind a battery on Cobb's Point, ten miles further 
up the river, or had escajDed through the Dismal S^vamp 
Canal, which joins Elizabeth City to Norfolk. He also 



A BOLD ATTACK. 409 

informed them that they were short of ammunition, 
having only twenty-four rounds, which was not sufficient 
for a long combat, and therefore what was done must he 
done quickly. He consequently gave positive orders, 
that, in the attack which he proposed to make in the 
morning, not a shot should be fired until he gave the 
signal; and, moreover, that each vessel as she approached 
the enemy should, instead of engaging him at even 
short range, run him down, and make a hand to hand 
fight of it. " With this understanding," says Eowan, 
" these noble spirits returned to their shij)s to await the 
events of the mon'ow." The night passed oft' quietly, 
and the next morning at daylight, the signal to weigh 
anchor was hoisted, and soon the " Yo ! heave ho ! " of 
the sailors rang over the water. Rowan in the Dela- 
ware, with the Underwriter, Perry, and Morse, moved off 
in advance, followed by the remaining vessels, which had 
orders, the moment the battery was passed, to leave the 
line and attack it in the rear. Proceeding cautiously up 
the river, he at eight o'clock came in sight of the rebel 
steamers, commanded by Lynch — noted in times past as 
the leader of the Dead Sea exjDedition — drawn up 
behind the battery, which mounted four heavy 32- 
pounders. On the opposite shore, in close range, was 
moored the schooner Warrior, armed with two more 32- 
pounders. Rowan was compelled to carry his vessels 
between these, before he could reach the rebel gunboats 
beyond. As the fleet moved forward, the hostile bat- 
teries and the heavy guns from the steamers opened fire, 
and the balls came skipping along the water, or dropped 
amid the vessels. Not a shot replied, and the little fleet 
kept on in dead silence. The enemy seemed astonished 
at this, but, as Rowan steadily drew nearer, opened mth 



410 EEAE-ADMIEAL STEPHEN C. EOWAN. 

smaller guns till the air around tlie vessels was full of 
sliot and shell, screaming and bursting on every side. 
All eyes were turned on the flagship to catch her 
signal to commence action, but she still moved silently 
on through the fire, until she got within half a mile 
of the battery. Rowan then ran up the signal, " Dash 
at the enemyy In an instant all steam was crowded on, 
and it became a swift race between the vessels to see 
which should close first with the enemy. The foam 
parted and rolled away from the bows, as, put to their 
utmost speed, they drove into the fiery opening between 
the fort and schooner, while every gun that could bear 
poured in a storm of shot and shell. The sudden, swift 
dash forward, and the almost simultaneous opening of 
the heavy guns, confounded the enemy, who had ex- 
pected a long bombardment. Rowan, leading in the 
Delaware, delivered his broadsides right and left, and, 
passing swiftly abreast of the fort, saw the garrison flee- 
ing from it in affright, while on the other side the Warrior 
was on fire, and the crew rushing for the shore. The ves- 
sels in the mean time kept moving on in flame, driving 
straight for the rebel fleet. The Perry, commanded by the 
gallant Flusser, made for the rebel flagship Seabird, and 
striking her full amidships, crushed her like an eggshell 
— finishing; her with one terrible blow. The Ceres took 
the Ellis, the crew boarding her with a fierce shout and 
sweeping her decks like a storm, while Rowan captured 
the Fanny. A shell entered the Valley City, and, pass- 
ing through the magazine, exj^loded on the berth-deck, 
setting it on fire. Chaplin, the commander, jumped down 
into the magazine himself, and, while giving directions 
to the men who were dashing water on the fire, passed 
up loose cylinders of powder. The fire-works on board 



A BOLD SAILOR. 411 

ignited, and rockets wliizzedand shot off, blue-lights blazed 
up amid the ammunition, while the vessel reeled to the 
heavy broadsides that never slackened. The shell-room 
caught fire, and for a few moments it seemed as if the 
vessel must be blown out of the water. But Chaplin kept 
the men steady, working himself like a common sailor 
to extinguish the fire. John Davis, the gunner's mate, 
seeing the flames leaping up on every side, jumped on an 
open barrel of powder, and sat down on the head to cover 
it with his person. Chaplin, seeing him quietly seated 
there, ordered him in a peremptory tone to get down 
and help put out the fii'e. The brave fellow replied : 
" Don't you see, sir, I can't, for if I do, the sparks will 
fall on the powder. If I get down^ Captain, we shall all 
go UP." Though the danger was imminent, and the 
scene terrific, Chaplin could not refrain from smiling at 
the imperturbable coolness of the man. A more daring 
act cannot be conceived, and he was promoted for it, 
as he ought to have been. The fight was so quickly 
over, that Eowan did not fii-e even his twenty-four 
rounds. 

It will be noticed that he has the honor of setting 
the example in this war, of not waiting to engage bat- 
teries, but of running past them, and thus rendering 
their fire harmless. 

When the master's-mate planted the stars and stripes 
on the fort, one long, loud cheer went up ft'om the 
whole flotilla. 

The rebel steamers were all captured and sunk but 
one, which escaped up the river past the city. Leaving 
most of his vessels to try and save the burning steamers, 
Rowan now pushed on up to Elizabeth City. As he came 
alongside of the wharf, he saw a battery wheeling ofi" at 



412 EEAK-ADMIEAL STEPHEN C. EOWAN. 

a gallop down the street. The crew jumped ashore, and, 
dashing along the street, captured its commanding officer, 
who had staid behind to compel the inhabitants to set fire 
to their dwellings. The flames were soon extinguished, 
when Rowan ordered all on board, lest he should be 
accused of Vandalism. Some of the inhabitants, and 
among them women and children, rushed to the wharf, 
and implored him to save their houses and property from 
destruction ; but he would not allow a man to move. 

The three following days were spent in destroying 
the fort and machinery of those vessels which could not be 
raised. 

Kowan followed up this victory by sending off expe- 
ditions in various directions, to complete the conquest of ' 
the coast. When Goldsborough returned to Hampton 
Koads, Rowan took command of the fleet, and cooper- 
ated with Burnside. 

In February, he made a reconnoissance up the Chow- 
an River, having Hawkms' Zouaves on board. At four 
in the afternoon of the 10th, he came in sight of the 
wharves and landing of the town of Winston. He ranged 
up past the wharf, and was just letting go his anchor, 
Avhen suddenly two batteries opened on him, accompa- 
nied by a perfect hailstorm of musketry. Volley followed 
volley, in rapid succession, the bullets striking the vessel 
like pattering rain. Being too close under the high land 
to return the fire, he steamed ahead, and, running up a 
short distance, succeeded, after much trouble, in turning 
round in this narrow river, when he came down and 
opened on the enemy with shells. The next morning he 
entered the town and destroyed the military stores, etc. 
The following month he cooperated with Burnside in the 
attack on Newbern. After landing the troops, he proceeded 



CAPTURE OF NEWBERN. - 413 

up the Neuse, toward Newbern, shelling the woods in ad- 
vance of the army. The river was lined with batteries, 
and in one place so filled with obstructions and torpedoes, 
that it was thought by the enemy no vessel could pass 
Fort Dixie, which was first encountered, afi:er sustaining 
a bombardment all one day, was abandoned, when a boat 
was sent ashore to raise the stars and stripes. Kowan 
then steamed slowly ahead till he came under the fire of 
Fort Ellis. This he returned with such fierceness, that it 
soon blew up with a terrific explosion. He then passed 
on to Fort Thompson — the last fort before reaching the 
obstructions. He soon silenced this also, and then mak- 
ing signal, " follow my motions," passed slowly through 
the first line of obstructions. It was a bold movement, 
for he did not loiow but that at any moment a torpedo 
would lift his vessel out of the water. There was a line 
of thirty of them, each containing two hundred pounds 
of powder, at this point. 

As he cleared them, he saw our troops mount the 
ramparts of Fort Thompson, cheering and waving their 
colors. Fort Lane was abandoned, and Rowan now 
steamed rapidly up towards Newbern. A second barrier, 
composed of sunken vessels, was also passed, although 
some of his vessels were injured by striking the submerged 
timbers. He passed six forts before he reached the city, 
all mounting rifle guns, ranging from 32 to 80 pounders. 

Rowan also furnished Burnside with a naval battery, 
manned by sailors, which did good service in the battle — 
a quarter of the whole number being killed and wounded. 

He sent home nine ships, freighted with stores, cap- 
tured by him at Newbern. The subsequent fall of Beaufort 
gave us entire command of the waters of the North Caro- 
lina coast, and Kowan, having finished the work assigned 



414 EEA"R-ADMIEAL STEPHEN C. EO WAIST. 

him, was in July detached from the command of the flotilla, 
and ordered at first to the Susquehannah, and afterwards 
to New York to fit out the iron-clad Roanoke. In the 
mean time Congress passed a vote of thanks'for his signal 
services. When Dahlgren took command of the South 
Atlantic blockading squadron, Captain Rowan was placed 
in command of the New Ironsides. 

In the subsequent attacks on Forts Wagner and 
Gregg, the Ironsides bore a conspicuous part, as the nu- 
merous dents in her mailed sides evinced. 

In the action of the 16th of August, she was struck 
thirty-nine times. The next month, however, Rowan 
showed what he could do with his ship unsustained by 
the other vessels. The Weehawken having got aground 
in the pass between Sumter and Cummings Point, where 
she was exposed to a horrible fire, Dahlgren ordered 
Captain Rowan to go to her help. He immediately 
steamed up, and, placing his vessel right between the 
Weehawken and the enemy's fire, cast anchor. As the 
bows of the noble vessel slowly swung round towards 
Moultrie, a concentrated and terrific fire was opened on 
her. The water seemed alive with bursting shells, while 
the heavy bolts fell with ceaseless clatter and awful 
power on her mailed sides. As soon as Rowan got his 
port broadside to bear, he directed the gunners to fire 
slowly at first, till they got the exact range. When this 
was done, he bade them pour in their shells rapidly as 
possible. Such a horrible tempest was now rained on 
the fort, that its fire soon began to slacken. But, in the 
mean time, other batteries of 10-inch guns between this 
fort and Beauregard were pounding him fearfully. 
Opening suddenly on these, he soon dismounted one of 
their heaviest guns. He thus stood grandly at bay, his 



THE lEONSIDES. 415 

guns thundering on the right, and on the left, until all the 
forts ceased firing, except an occasional gun. He then 
directed a slow fire to be kept up on Moultrie with shells. 
As soon as the enemy saw this, they jumped up from be- 
hind their sand bags, and opened a rapid fire, but. Rowan 
immediately pouring in his shells as before, they soon re- 
tired to their shelter again. The huge missiles were sent 
with the unerring certainty of rifle balls, and burst around 
the hostile guns with such destructive force, that not a 
man dared to show his head. For nearly three hours he 
lay here and protected the Weehawken, that otherwise 
would have been knocked to pieces ; and did not leave 
till he had expended all his ammunition. 

His vessel was under fire fourteen times in Charles- 
ton harbor, and, in the actions of Sept. 7th and 8th, fired 
over three hundred rounds, and was hit ninety-four times. 

While on service here. Captain Kowan was promoted 
to Commodore, his commission dating back to the vote 
of thanks by Congress. 

During the first part of the year 1864, Admiral 
Dahlgren was absent on leave of absence, and Commo- 
dore Rowan was left in command of the South Atlantic 
blockading squadron. 

The Ironsides, though apparently impervious to shot, 
came very near being destroyed by a torpedo, which 
exploded against her sides, inflicting considerable damage. 
Active operations having ceased in Charleston harbor, 
she was ordered to Philadelphia for repairs. 

Commodore Rowan was subsequently placed in com- 
mand of the Nadowasca, and promoted to Rear-Admiral. 
His sea service covers nearly twenty-five years. 

He is now in command of the Navy Yard at 
Norfolk. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

COMMODORE S. P. LEE. 

HIS EIETH. — COMMANDS THE ONEIDA IM THE PASSAGE OF THE FOETS BELOW 
NEW ORLEANS. — DEMANDS THE SUEEENDEE OP VICKSBUEG. — PLACED 
OVEE THE NOETH ATLANTIC BLOCKADING 8QTTADE0N. — HIS SEEVICES HEEE. 
— FIGHT BETWEEN THE EAM ALBEMAELE AND CUE VESSELS IN THE AL- 
BEMAELE SOUND. — PLACED OVEE THE MISSISSIPPI FLEET. — COOPEEATES 
WITH THE AEMT IN THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST HOOD. — COMPLIMENTAEY 
LETTEE FEOM GENERAL THOMSON. 

Commodore Lee was for so long a time Acting Kear- 
Admiral of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron 
and Mississippi Flotilla, that his reports fill a large 
space in the naval documents. But during his command 
over this extensive district, he was engaged in no general 
important movements, while the principal events that oc- 
curred in its limits are given in the sketches of those 
subordinate officers who were principally engaged in 
them. 

Samuel Phillips Lee is a Virginian by birth, and was 
appointed midshipman from that State in November, 
1825, and hence had been thirty-five years in the national 
service when the war broke out. Though a Southerner 
by birth, he did not, like so many other officers, join the 
Confederacy ; but remained true to the old flag. 



AT NEW OELEANS. 41*7 

Wlien Farragut organized his expedition against New 
Orleans, Lee was given the command of the United 
States steamship Oneida, and was assigned to Bailey's 
division, that led the fleet. After the latter found that 
he could not get the Colorado over the bar, he selected 
the Oneida as his flagship in the approaching struggle ; 
but, finding that this arrangement was displeasing to Lee, 
who felt that whatever honor his vessel might win, he 
would get no share of it, he transferred his flag to the 
Cayuga. Lee carried his vessel gallantly into action, 
standing on the forecastle and directing all the movements 
of the ship from that exposed position, until the obstruc- 
tions in the river were passed. He says : 

The Oneida was steered in for the Fort St. Philip side, passed up 
quickly in the strong eddy, and close under the guns of that fort, (so that 
the sparks from its immense battery seemed to reach us,) fired rapidly bolts 
from two rifled guns, (we had no shell for them,) grape and canister from 
the forward 32's, and shrapnell from the two 11-inch pivot guns, whilst 
passing this long line of works. (It was, perhaps, the burning of the sul- 
phur in our 11-inch shrapnell, which occasioned the ofiicers in Fort St. 
Philip to inquire, after the surrender, if our shells were not filled with 
Greek fire.) 

The terrific fire from the heavy batteries of Fort St. Philip passed over 
us, their guns seeming to be too much elevated for our close position. 

When just above the forts, we encountered the gunboats and transports 
of the enemy. The former, it seems from the subsequent reports of our 
prisoners, were tied to trees along the steep bank above Fort St. Philip ; 
thence passing over to the Fort Jackson side, these gunboats came down to 
meet us. It was very thick from darkness and smoke. We had now got 
on the Fort Jackson side. A flash revealed the ram Manassas, gliding 
down our port-side below our guns, and passing too close and swiftly, aided 
by steam and the current, to enable us to bring our heavy guns to bear on 
her. Next came a gunboat quite near, and passing from the Fort Jackson 
to the Fort St. Philip side, across our bow. Ran into it with a full head 
of steam, and cut it down with a loud crash on its starboard quarter. 
Clear of our guns in a moment, it drifted down stream in the darkness. 
We now slowed down, and afterwards used the steam as necessary to get or 



418 COMMODORE S. P. LEE. 

keep ijosition in fighting the gunboats, firing right and left into them as 
we could ascertain (from other indications than black smoke, on account 
of the Varuna), that we were not firing into one of our steamers ; forebore 
to fire into those steamers that appeared to be river transports, and ceased 
firing into others when they made no return. 

In this manner we fired into and passed several rebel boats on the right 
bank, leaving it for those who came after to pick up the prizes. A black 
gunboat, with two masts — a converted sea-steamer — ran ahead after a brief 
contest. At or near daybreak, we found the Cayuga on our port-side. 
After consultation with Captain Bailey, we concluded to wait for the fleet 
to come up and form in order. Captain Bailey afterwards haUed that the 
Taruna might be ahead. Looked for her, but could not make her out, and 
Teceived reports from the first lieutenant and the officer on the forecastle, 
that she was not in sight. When we had steamed a mile or more ahead of 
the Cayuga, saw her general signal No. 80, but, as there was nothing in 
;sight of us needing assistance, supposed the signal to refer to some vessel 
astern of the Cayuga. Moving ahead, reconnoitring, came up with what, 
in the gray of the morning, appeared to be a fort, but what, on nearer 
approach, proved to be a rebel camp on the right bank, with a large rebel 
Sag flying over it. Fired into it, but no reply was made, no one was seen 
moving, and the camp seemed deserted. Passed on, leaving the trophy 
tflag flying, and soon received a report that the Varuna was ahead, and that 
the enemy was trying to board her. Went ahead with all speed to her 
assistance. Approaching rapidly, saw the Varuna ashore on the left bank 
of the river, where she had been driven by two rebel gunboats. At 5.30 
A. M. fired on one of them — the black gunboat, our previous acquaintance — 
with the forecastle rifle gun. He had hoisted his jib (his wheel-ropes being 
•gone) and was trying to escape up river ; but both rebel gunboats, finding 
•they could not get away, ran on shore — the black one, which proved to be 
the Governor Moore, Commander Kennon, on the left bank, above the 

Varuna, and the , (name yet unknown,) on the right bank, opposite 

the Varuna, with her head up stream. After we had driven them ashore, 
their crews deserted, but not before setting fire to their vessels. 

With our boats, captured Commander Kennon, (formerly of our navy,) 
one first lieutenant of artillery, one chief engineer, and fourteen of the crew 
of the Governor Moore ; also, a rebel signal-book and some official papers, 
showing that the rebel gunboats were ordered to ram our vessels, and to 
distinguish themselves by showing lights, which they must soon have found 
prudent to haul down. Seeing that the Varuna was sinking, sent our boats 
and went to her assistance. Brought on board Oneida the first lieutenant, 
two acting masters, two mates, and forty petty officers and seamen of the 
Varuna, and sent ten others, seven of whom were wounded, to the Pensa- 
cola. 

The Varuna had been rammed and badly stove by both of these rebel 



EELIEVES GOLDSBOEOUGH. 419 

gunboats, which had kept with or after her up river, and she was filling, 
with her magazine flooded, when the Oneida drove off her assailants, pre- 
vented her officers and crew from being captured, and was received by 
them with loud and hearty cheers. 

The Cayuga (Captain Bailey's flag) also cheered the Oneida heartily for 
opportunely coming to his support that morning. 



Lee passed np the river witL Bailey, and shared in 
tlie action of tlie 25th, against Fort Chalmette. After 
the capitulation of New Orleans, Farragut sent him for- 
ward to demand the surrender of Vicksburg. The au- 
thorities refusing to obey his summons, Lee threatened 
to bombard the town, but forebore. 

In the subsequent passage of the batteries by Far- 
ragut, January 28th, he carried his ship steadily through 
the fire, receiving but four shots. 

Lee having been promoted, was soon after transferred 
to the command of the North Atlantic Blockading 
Squadron, taking the place of Goldsborough, who was 
relieved at his own request, and became Acting-Rear- 
Admii-al. Here he continued " discharging his duties," 
said the Secretary of the Navy, " in a position of great 
responsibility, and in some respects of great embarrass- 
ment." * * -^ " The rivers of Virginia, and the sounds 
of North Carolina have been penetrated, watched and 
guarded, as well as the entire coast, so that all inter- 
course with the rebels has been cut off, with the single 
exception of the port of Wilmington." Various expedi- 
tions were fitted out ; rivers were explored ; guerillas 
dispersed, and blockade runners captured in the limits 
of his jm-isdiction ; but no naval movements of a decisive 
character made. While here, he received a letter from 
Alexander Stephens, who wished to be allowed to pro- 
ceed to Washington as commissioner from Jefferson 



420 COMMODOEE S. P. LEE. 

Davis. After communicating witli Washington, Admi- 
ral Lee informed Mm, tliat Hs request was inadmissible. 

Wlien Butler commenced his movement on Bermuda 
Hundreds, Lee cooperated with him, and afterwards 
with Grant. While his subordinates were active in 
maintaining the blockade along the coast, and our su- 
premacy in the sounds of North Carolina, he personally 
superintended affaii's in the James River and adjoining 
waters. His correspondence with Grant, Butler, and 
the authorities at Washington, covers the whole field of 
operations, though the duties of the navy were quite 
subordinate to those of the army. Keeping communica- 
tions open ; clearing rivers of batteries ; transporting 
troops, and covering their landing, and holding the ene- 
my's vessels in check, are quite as important as naval 
battles ; yet, a detailed narrative of all the proceedings 
possesses but little interest to the general reader. 

Lee was anxious to have the rebel fleet come down 
the James and attack him ; but no such opportunity 
was given him to distinguish himself, and he was reluct- 
antly compelled to submit to a comparatively inactive 
life personally — ^his time being chiefly occupied in giv- 
ing orders to subordinates in the various portions of his 
wide command, and in receiving theii' reports. 

As a fair illustration of the character of Lis duties 
in the James Kiver, we give one of his despatches : 

FLAQsniP N. A. B. Squadeon, ) 
Hampton Eoam, July 9, 1864. f 

Sir : I transmit, enclosed, three (3) reports from Captain Smith, of 4th, 
5th, and 6th instants, as follows : (1) enclosing report from Lieutenant- 
Commander Quackenbush of the capture, by a boat's crew from the Pequot, 
of three confederate prisoners, A large body of cavalry aj)proaching after 
the capture, the Pequot and Commodore Morris opened fire and drove them 
oS. The prisoners had little information. (2) 5th instant, enclosing copies 



VAEIOUS DUTIES. 421 

of two telegrams, (A aud B,) dated 4th and Stli instants, from General 
Weitzel to General Foster, warning him of a probable attack by a rebel 
force of about five thousand, which the second despatch states is probably 
meant as a feint to cover a heavy attack on Meade's left ; also a despatch 
(C) from General Butler, of 5th instant, requesting the assistance of the 
naval vessels in destroying the enemy's forage and grain in their vicinity. 
(3) of 6th instant, reports the destruction of a considerable amount of hay 
and grain on Aiken's farm, and an attempt to capture the rebel guard sta- 
tioned to protect the reapers ; they escaj)ed, however, their arms, ammuni- 
tion, and clothing only being taken. 

Acting-Master Lee, commanding the Commodore Morris, reports to 
Captain Smith, that, while destroying a field of wheat near Turkey Bend, 
an escaped Union jirisouer, John H. Bond, who had been sent from Rich- 
mond to aid in cutting the grain, claimed his protection, and stated that 
there were seven (7) other prisoners sent with him for the same purpose. 
Richard D. Lee, Justice of the Peace for Warwick County, Virginia, was 
taken prisoner at the same time, and turned over to General Butler. Cap- 
tain Smith also reports that he is informed that the man Aiken, upon 
whose premises the grain was destroyed, had assisted a party of five (5) to 
escape to the rebel lines. This man gave a strict pledge of neutrality, when 
our forces first went up the river. This report also encloses the statement 
of three (3) deserters from the rebel iron-clad Vii'ginia, who came off on 
the 5th ; they furnish no new information. 

There has been no change in the naval situation, and all was quiet at 
the last date. 

I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, 

S. P. LEE, 
Acting Rmr-Admiral^ ComTnanding N. A. B. Squadron. 

Hon. Gideon Welles, 

Secretary of the Navy. 

Sucli events as tliese would be varied by an attack 
on a rebel battery planted on tlie banks of tlie river. 
The rebel ram Albemarle, in the Roanoke River, caused 
him much anxiety, and the engagements with her, and 
attempts to destioy her, were the chief naval events in 
the waters of North Carolina. This powerful vessel had 
attacked our force there, and sunk the Southfield; hence. 
Admiral Lee was very anxious to dispose of her in 
some way. On the 5th of May, she again came out of 
Roanoke River, when Melancthon Smith, senior officer 



422 COMMODORE S. P. LEE. 

in tlie sound, boldly advanced to meet her witt liis 
little squadron, but failed to caj^tui'e ber. 

Wben tbe Department determined on tbe capture 
of Wilmington, Admiral Porter was put in Lee's place 
and tbe latter given tbe former's command on tbe Mis- 
sissippi. Tbe severe figbting bad all been done bere, 
but still it required a good deal of bard work to keep 
wbat we bad got. Tbe Tennessee Kiver especially 
caused Lee mucb trouble. 

In tbe fall of 1864, tbe steamer Undine was captured 
bere, wbile tbree " tin-clads " bad to be burned to prevent 
tbem from falling into tbe bands of tbe enemy. 

Lee's important command extended from tbe Obio 
to tbe moutb of tbe Mississippi, embracing not only tbe 
tributaries of tbe latter, but tbe Tennessee and Cumber- 
land Kivers. Tbis was divided into several districts, 
witb a separate commander over eacb. Tbe eleventb 
district embraced tbe Tennessee Eiver, and bere tbe 
most valuable services were rendered by tbe Acting 
Rear Admiral, in cooperating witb tbe army under 
Tbomas, in tbe campaign against Hood. Tbe former 
acknowledged tbose services, in a complimentary letter 
to Lee, in wbicb be says : " Your official cooperation on 
tbe Tennessee, bas contributed largely to tbe de- 
moralization of Hood's aiTuy," and furtber says : " In 
conclusion, it gives me great pleasure to tender to you, 
your officers and men, my bearty tbanks for your cor- 
dial cooperation during tbe operations of tbe past tbirty- 
five days." 

At tbe close of tbe war, Lee received tbe surrender 
of tbe last of tbe rebel fleet on tbe western waters. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

COMMODORE THORNTON A. JENKINS. 

niS NATIVITY. — ENTEE3 THE SERVICE. — FIRST CRUISE. — ON THE COAST SrEVEY. 
— LIGHT-HOUSE DUTY. — SERVES IN THE MEXICAN WAR. — COMMANDS HTDEO- 
GEAPHIC PARTY IN COAST SURVEY. — BRINGS HOME PRISONERS FROM MEXICO. 
— EMPLOYED IN SECRET SERVICE IN VIRGINIA.— HIS SERVICES IN THE JAMES 
RIVER. — IN THE WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. — MADE FLEET CAP- 
TAIN TO FAEEAGUT. HIS SERVICES. — IS WOUNDED. — IN THE ACTION BELOW 

MOBILE. — FARRAGUT's OPINION OF HIM. — CHIEF OF BUREAU OF NAVIGATION. 

Commodore Jenkins was "born in Orange County, 
Virginia, December 11th, 1811. He entered tlie navy 
as midsliipman, November 1st, 1828, and was ordered 
to tlie Natchez, in which he served for two years — a 
part of the time cruising in an open boat along the coast 
of Cuba, in search of pirates. In 1833 he received his 
warrant as passed midshipman, standing No. 1, and was 
ordered to the coast survey, in which he afterwards 
became assistant. In 1842 he was detached from it, and 
made a cruise in the Congress as lieutenant. In 1845 
he was on special duty connected with the examination 
of light-houses in Europe, and the next year made 
inspector of light-houses on our coast. He served gal- 
lantly in the Mexican war, participating in the capture 
of Tuspan and Tobasco. In 1850 he was placed in 
command of the hydrographic party on the coast survey 
— commandinaj the schooner John Y. Mason. In 1858 
he commanded the Preble in the Paraguay expedition. 
In 1860, when Miramon bombarded the Fort of San 
Juan d'Ulloa, the Saratoga and Preble captured one 
hundred and twelve men, whom Jenkins took to New 
Orleans, and delivered up as pirates. 



424 COMMODORE THOENTON A. JENKINS. 

The next year lie was ordered to report to the 
Secretary of the Treasury as Secretary of the Light- 
house Board, and from April to November was em- 
ployed on special duty and secret service in Virginia, 
in connection with the rebellion. But the great ex- 
posure and labor connected with it, broke down his 
health, and he was, for a long time, laid up with the 
tjrphoid fever. On his recovery, he applied for active 
service, and was given the command of the Wachusett. 
When the rebels attacked McClellan at Harrison's Land- 
ing, he drove them off, and afterwards did good service 
in the James River. Being promoted to captain, he 
was, in September, ordered to the Oneida, and joined 
the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. The next Feb- 
ruary he was detached from this vessel and ordered to 
report on board the Hartford at New Orleans as captain 
of the fleet, and Chief of Staff to FaiTagut. 

He led the fleet in the passage of the batteries of 
Port Hudson in March. A few days after, he engaged 
the batteries of Grand Gulf, as well as those of War- 
renton. In May, in the Monongahela — the temporary 
flag-ship — he attacked the batteries of Port Hudson, and 
remained before the place until called to Donaldsonville. 

The next month he was ordered to Port Hudson, to 
assume command. In July, the Monongahela, with the 
tug Ida in company, silenced a battery of fifteen field 
pieces about twelve miles below Donaldsonville, which 
opened on the vessel at only two hundred yards distant. 
In the engagement, Commander Read was killed, and 
Jenkins, who was on board on his way up to take com- 
mand of the Richmond, was wounded " by the same shot, 
breaking a cutlass which stnick him on the thigh." He 
commanded the naval force at Port Hudson, when the 



HIGH PEAISE. 425 

place surrendered. From January, 1864, to 18G5, he 
was in command of a division blockading Mobile, and 
took an active part in the engagement witk the forts in 
the following August. He commanded tlie Riclimond 
in that most fearful conflict of modern times, and no 
higher praise can be awarded him than that bestowed 
by Admiral Farragut, who said: 

" Before closing this report, there is one other officer 
of my squadron of whom I feel bound to speak. Captain 
T. A. Jenkins of the Richmond, who Avas formerly my 
chief of stajff, not because of his having held that posi- 
tion, but because he never forgets to do his duty to the 
government, and takes now the same interest in the fleet 
as when he stood in that relation to me. He is also the 
commanding officer of the second division of my squadron, 
and, as such, has shown ability, and the most untiring zeal. 
He carries out the spirit of one of Lord Colliugwood's 
best sayings : " Not to be afraid of doing too much ; 
those who are, seldom do as much as they ought." 
When in Pensacola, he spent days on the bar placing 
buoys in the best position, was always looking after the 
interests of the service, and keeping the vessels from 
being detained one moment longer in port than was 
necessary. The gallant Craven told me, only the night 
before the action in which he lost his life : ' I regret, 
Admiral, that I have detained you ; but had it not been 
for Captain Jenkins, God knows when I should have 
been here. When your order came, I had not received 
an ounce of coal.' 

" I feel I should not be doing my duty did I not call 
the attention of the Department to an officer who has 
performed all his various duties with so much zeal and 
fidelity." 

In January, 1865, he was ordered north, and in 
August, the same year, he was appointed Chief of Bu- 
reau of Navigation in the Navy Department, having been 
promoted the month previous to Commodore. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

REAR-ADMIRAL HENRY KNOX THATCHER. 

KAMK A TEST OF MERIT AS WELL AS VICTORIES. — THATCHER's BIRTH AND 
EARLY EDUCATION. — ENTERS THE NAVY. — FIRST ORtTISES. — CRUISE TO SUP- 
PRESS THE SLAVE-TRADE. — PROMOTION. — BREAKING OUT OF THE REBEL- 
LION.— COMMANDS IN THE GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. — HIS GALLANTRY 
IN THE BOMBARDMENT OF FORT FISHER. — PORTER'S EULOGY OF HIM. — 
COMMANDS THE SQUADRON IN MOBILE BAY. — SINKING OF VESSELS BY 
TORPEDOES. — CAPTURE OF MOBILE. — HIS AFTER SERVICES ON THE MIS- 
SISSIPPI AND AT GALVESTON. — DESTRUCTION OF THE REBEL VESSEL WEBB. 
— COMMANDS THE GULF SQUADRON. 

Many of our accomplished commanders had no op- 
portunity during the war of performing any isolated bril- 
liant action, they either being kept on stations at points 
where it was necessary to have a portion of our navy, or 
on blockading duty, where no opportunity occurred of 
meeting the enemy. Others were very little known out- 
side of the navy until their names suddenly appeared near 
the close of the war, they then for the first time having 
an opportunity to show their capacity for commanding a 
fleet, and conducting active operations. Their services, 
however, were none the less valuable because not con- 
nected with any brilliant action. These may be known 
from the high rank which was given them. Among 



HIS EAELY CEUISES. 42 T 

the latter is Rear-Admiral Thatcher. Born in Maine, he 
received his education in the schools of Boston, and in 
1823 entered the naval service as midshipman. 

He made two cruises in the Pacific Ocean, the West 
Indies, and the Gulf of Mexico. He afterwards made 
three cruises in the Mediterranean, and one on the coast 
of Africa to suppress the slave-trade. He also, as lieu- 
tenant and captain, saw much duty on shore in our navy 
yards and recruiting stations. 

After the breaking out of the rebellion he was en- 
gaged in active service, being promoted to commodore, in 
July, 1862. 

In 1863, he commanded the Colorado, and under 
Commodore Bell, commanding for the time the Western 
Gulf Blockading Squadron, he endeavored to destroy a 
blockade-runner, which had got aground directly under 
the guns of Fort Morgan, Mobile bay. It was on the 
12th of October, a dark and rainy morning, when he 
saw her aground, and instantly despatched his executive 
officer, Lieutenant Miller, in his tender — a boat of scarcely 
a hundred tons burden — to reconnoitre. The Kanawha, 
under Lieutenant Commander Mayo, observed the block- 
ade-runner at the same time, and instantly steamed in 
and boldly attacked her. The fort opened a tremendous fire 
upon the Kanawha, and soon sent an eight-inch shell 
through her. She still, however, maintained her fire, 
while the little tender, disdaining to be outdone in bold- 
ness, though the shot and shells of the fort rained around 
her, kept up a vigorous fire with her howitzers, and re- 
tired only with the Kanawha. Though the attempt to 
destroy the blockade-runner failed, it was gallantly exe- 
cuted. The first important action in which Thatcher was 
engaged was the bombardment of Fort Fisher, under 



428 EEAK-ADMIRAL HENEY KNOX THATCHER. 

Porter. In this attack he carried his ship gallantly into 
action, and on the first day fired fifteen hundred and 
sixty-nine projectiles, his ship being hulled several times. 
The cool and deliberate manner in which he handled his 
ship and fought her to the close, received the warm com- 
mendations of his commander. In the second attack, the 
Colorado, in the second line, was directed to advance 
next to the leading ship, Minnesota, under Commodore 
Lanman. The latter, however, while moving up, got 
her propeller foul with a hawser, and Thatcher took 
the lead and led the line, and for an hour lay abreast 
of the formidable batteries, raining shot and shell in an 
incessant shower on the fortifications. Now, a hundred 
and fifty pound shot went crashing through his berth- 
deck, soon another tore through his gun-deck, making an 
ugly opening. A third pierced the port side of his 
ship, above the water line ; two more struck the sheet 
chain, cutting it through, while shells were incessantly 
exploding above and around him. But though under 
such an awful fire, and receiving such a terrible pound- 
ing, Thatcher fought on as coolly as though only testing 
the range of his guns. In the midst of the fire, he or- 
dered Lieutenant M. L. Johnson to carry a hawser to 
the Ironsides, to warp round his vessel so as to bring 
all his guns from the port battery to bear. This gallant 
officer, with a crew of volunteers, rowed away, and for 
half an hour was the target of the guns of the enemy, 
who had observed his movements. It was a bold and 
hazardous act, and highly complimented by Thatcher. 

Ensign Perry, after assisting in landing the troops, 
and though worn out with fatigue and drenched to the 
skin, took up his position, and in the language of Thatcher, 
"fought his guns splendidly through the action." Strange 



AT FORT FISHER. 429 

to say, that, although the vessel was hulled six times, and 
received several other shots, only three were killed or 
wounded. Of the force spared from his ship to compose 
the assaulting party, twenty-three were reported killed, 
wounded and missing. In his report of the action. Por- 
ter says: "First and foremost on the list of commodores 
is Commodore H. K. Thatcher. Full of honest zeal and 
patriotism, his vessel was always ready for action, an^l 
when he did go into it his ship was handled with admira- 
ble skill; no vessel in the squadron was so much cut up 
as the Colorado ; for some reason the rebels selected her 
for a target. I believe Commodore Thatcher would have 
fought his ship until she went to the bottom, and wen^ 
into the fight with a full determination to conquer or die 
There is no reward too great for this gallant officer ; ht 
has shown the kind of ability naval leaders should pos 
sess, a love of fighting and an invincible courage." Fori 
Fisher having fallen, Thatcher was detached from PorterV 
fleet and placed in command of the squadron in Mobile 
bay, to cooperate with Canby and Granger, commanding 
the land forces, in the reduction of this last port that stili 
acknowledged the authority of the Confederate Govern- 
ment. After landing the troops under General Canby 
at Danby's Mills, and shelling the woods along the shore 
in the vicinity, to clear them of the enemy, he advanced 
upon the rebel forts commanding the inner bay of Mobile. 
Before sending his Monitors over the shallow bar into the 
river, he had it thoroughly dragged for torpedoes, for it 
was well kno^vn that the enemy had lined the bottom with 
these hideous engines of destruction. Having dragged 
till no more could be found, the Milwaukie, Lieutenant 
commander J. H. Gillis, was sent up the Blakely river, 
to shell a rebel transport supposed to be conveying sup- 



430 EEAR-ADJnRAL HENRY KNOX THATCHER. 

plies to the lower fort. Having caused the steamer to 
retreat up the river, he was slowly dropping down, stern 
first, to avoid accident — for in turning he would sweep 
over more ground. He had reached, as it was supposed, 
a place of safety, as the iron-clad Winnebago had turned 
there not ten minutes before, and the boats had dragged 
for torpedoes, when a sudden shock was felt, and the 
next moment the water came pouring through the bot- 
tom of the vessel. At first there was some confusion on 
board, for the hatches were down. But Gillis promptly 
restored order, the hatches were pried open, when the 
men rushed on deck ; and though but three minutes 
elapsed from the time the torpedo exploded, before the 
vessel went down, the entire crew was saved. 

The very next day the iron-clad Osage, Lieutenant 
Wm. M. Gamble commanding, was also sunk inside of 
Blakely bar. The vessel was anchored alongside three 
other iron-clads in a heavy gale. Gamble, seeing that 
the Winnebago was dragging her anchor, drifting slowly 
against him, weighed anchor and moved off to a safe 
distance, and stopped in two fathoms water. He then 
ordered three bells, the signal to back, and the crew to 
stand ready to drop anchor, when suddenly a torpedo 
exploded under the bow, and in an instant the vessel be- 
gan to settle in the water. Gamble immediately sent a 
portion of the crew to search for the killed and wounded, 
and ordered all the rest on the hurricane deck, except 
two to each boat to haul them alongside. 

Two were killed and eight wounded. The latter 
were quickly lifted into the boats, but were scarcely safe 
aboard, before the vessel went down. As the spot had 
been thoroughly dragged, it was supposed that the tor- 
pedo was a floating one. Three days after this sad 



TORPEDOES. 431 

accident, tlie United States steamer Rodolpli was also 
sunk. This vessel was on its way to lielp raise the 
Milwaukee, sunk a few days before, when a torpedo 
exploded under the bow, staving a hole ten feet in 
diameter, and killing and wounding twelve men. Sink- 
ing in only twelve feet of water, the most valuable part 
of her armament, <fec., was saved. 

Scarcely ten days elapsed, before the gunboat Scioto, 
tug Ida, and a launch of the Cincinnati, shared the 
same fate, losing nearly twenty men. The Althea had 
also been previously sunk. It will be seen by these 
casualties occurring so rapidly, and that, too, after the 
water had been thoroughly dragged, and quantities of 
torpedoes taken up, what a difficult and dangerous ser- 
vice Thatcher was called upon to perform. Nothing 
could be more unpleasant to a naval commander. Offi- 
cers and men had rather face any battery, however 
powerful, or meet any vessel, however superior in 
strength, than to be thus constantly dreading an un- 
seen foe. To be in momentary expectation of feeling 
the vessel lifting beneath you, or with one great shud- 
der sink to the bottom, is more trying to the nerves 
than the most desperate engagement. The very mys- 
tery that envelops these hidden messengers of death, 
renders them more terrible. 

Thatcher, however, worked his way steadily forward 
against all opposition — thanks to the indefatigable exer- 
tion of Commander Pierce Crosby, who dragged Blakely 
River till he took out one hundred and fifty torpedoes — 
and at last got his iron-clads abreast of Spanish Fort, 
from whence he shelled Forts Huger and Tracy with 
such precision, from a rifled gun under Commander Low, 
that both were evacuated. Taking possession of these. 



432 EEAR-ADinRAL HENEY KNOX THATCHER. 

he conveyed eight thousand men under Granger, to the 
west side of Mobile Bay to attack the city. The rebels 
retreated, and the two commandei's sent in a formal 
demand for the surrender of the place. It was granted, 
and the stars and stripes were hoisted over the city. 

The capture of Fort Alexis and the Spanish Fort, 
completed the conquest, and the rebel iron-clad Nashville 
and gunboat Morgan retreated up the Tombigbee River. 
The two powerful rams Huntsville and Tuscaloosa had 
been previously sunk in Spanish River. 

Thatcher immediately went to work blowing up and 
removing the obstructions in the main channel. 

On the 4th of May, the rebel naval commander, Far- 
rand, surrendered all the vessels that remained, four in 
number, to Thatcher, who had followed him up the 
Tombigbee River, and was ready to open on him with 
his heav}^ guns. 

Admiral Thatcher now proceeded to New Orleans. 
Here, on the 24th of April, he was aroused by the start- 
ling intelligence, that the rebel ram Webb, that had run 
the blockade of the Red River, was passing the city 
under a full head of steam, with the United States flag 
at half-mast. At first she was supposed to be an army 
transport ; but as soon as her true character was dis- 
covered, he sent several vessels in hot pursuit. 

The Webb kept dashing on at a high rate of speed — 
with a torpedo suspended at her bow — making for the 
open gulf. But suddenly she came upon the Richmond, 
on her way up, when she turned for the shore and, run- 
ning her bows into the left bank of the river, was set 
on fire by her commander. The crew of forty-five es- 
caped to the shore with the exception of three, two of 
whom were captured, while the third perished with the 



A BE AVE ACT. 433 

vessel. Her cargo consisting of cotton, rosin and tur- 
pentine, she was soon a mass of flames shooting through 
thick clouds of black smoke, and in a few minutes blew 
up with a terrific explosion. Detachments from the 
navy and land force pursued the fugitives through the 
swamps into which they plunged for shelter, capturing 
two of the crew, and taking the commander and five 
other officers prisoners. 

Thatcher, in the mean time, had despatched several 
vessels, to convey a force of thirteen thousand men under 
General Steele, to Selma and Montgomery. A month later 
he received a despatch from the fleet captain, E. Simp- 
son, at Mobile, announcing that on the afternoon of the 
25th of May, an awful explosion of ordnance stores took 
place at Marshall's warehouse, setting the city on fire 
and causing a great destruction of life. The conflagra- 
tion, fanned by a fierce south wind, spread with great 
rapidity, carrying terror and desolation in its path. 

Amid the exploding shells on every side and the 
blinding smoke and flames shooting heavenward, quar- 
ter-master John Cowper, belonging to the Brooklyn, 
seeing a wounded man lying where certain death 
awaited him, dashed fearlessly in, at the imminent risk 
of his life, and lifting him in his arms, bore him to a 
place of safety. 

The surrender of the defences of Sabine Pass followed, 
and the last stones of the Confederacy crumbled to the 
ground. 

Admiral Thatcher now proceeded to Galveston, 
where Kirby Smith surrendered to our land forces, 
and the national flag was soon flying over all the forts 
of the harbor. Thatcher, not having a sufficient force to 
garrison them, laid his light-draught gunboats abreast 

28 



434 REAE-ADMIEAL HENEY KNOX THATCHER. 

of them, until troops could arrive. This being done, he 
directed Captain Sands to buoy out the harbor. 

Since the war, he has been most of the time com- 
manding the Gulf squadron. 



CHAPTER XX. 

COMMODORE WILLIAM D. PORTER. 

niS NATIVITY. — BREAKING OUT OF THE EEBELLION. — HIS LETTER TO THE GOV- 
ERNMENT. — SENT TO THE WESTERN DEPARTMENT. — TURNS A FERRX-BOAl 
INTO A GUNBOAT. NAMES HER THE ESSEX. — ON WATCH ABOVE COLUM- 
BUS. CHALLENGES THE ENEMY. — ATTACK ON FORT HENRY. — IS WOUNDED. 

— OVERHAULS THE ESSEX. — DESIGNS TWO OTHER GUNBOATS.— JOINS DAVIS 
BEFORE VICKSBURG. — THE RAM ARKANSAS. — PORTEr's BOLD ATTACK ON 
HER. — DESPERATE UNDERTAKING. — AIDS GENERAL WILLIAMS AT BATON 

ROUGE. — DESTROYS THE RAM ARKANSAS. — AT BAYOU SARA. ASKS FOE 

AID TO PREVENT THE ERECTION OF WORKS AT PORT HUDSON. — BURNS 
BAYOU SARA.— BOMBARDS NATCHEZ. — RUNS THE BATTERIES AT PORT HUD- 
SON. MADE COMMODORE. — HIS SICKNESS. — OBTAINS LEAVE OF ABSENCE. 

— HIS DEATH. 

As the father illustrated tlie navy in our second war 
with England, so the two sons have shed glory on it 
during the unholy rebellion of 1861. The story of the 
illustrious sire's heroic fight in the port of Valparaiso, 
doubtless had much to do in fixing the profession of the 
sons, and also in forming their characters, distinguished 
for desperate daring and unconquerable resolution. 

William D. is a native of New Orleans, where he was 
born in 1809. He was educated, however, in a Free 
State — Pennsylvania — and was appointed to the navy 
from Massachusetts, in 1823. 



436 COMMODOEE WILLIAM D. POETEE, 

Wlieu the rebellion broke out lie was cruising in the 
sloo23-of-war St. Mary ; and, being a Southern man by 
birth, his loyalty was suspected. Being informed of this, 
he wrote a characteristic letter to the Government, de- 
fending himself from the aspersion. This letter caused a 
good deal of comment at the time. Recalled from the 
Pacific, he was afterward sent to the Western Depart- 
ment to serve under Foote, who was prej^aring a fleet 
with which to open the Mississippi. The vessel selected 
for his command was a St. Louis ferry-boat, which he 
was expected to convert into a formidable iron-clad gun- 
boat. Named after the ship his gallant father fought so 
desperately in the harbor of Valparaiso in 1813, it was 
destined, notwithstanding its ignominious bii'th, to win 
a reputation as gi-eat. The manner in which she was 
transformed into the powerful gunboat she became, can- 
not be better described than in Porter's own amusing 
language. 

He says : " The commander-in-chief (Flag-Officer A. 
H. Foote) gave me only eighteen days to get her together. 
So in that time I had her off the docks, and in three days 
was steaming do^vn the Mississippi River. Of course 
there was much to be done in that time, and no place to 
do it. I therefore set up on my own hook ; seized three 
large scows, and converted them into a locomotive navy- 
yard. One of these I made a blacksmith's shop and iron- 
working establishment in general ; another, my boat- 
shed, and carpenter's establishment ; and another, my 
coal depot. When I move up stream, I tow them all 
with me ; if down stream, they follow. I sometimes go 
into action fighting at one end, while carpenters, calkers, 
blacksmiths, and painters are working at the other. You 
see therefore that the Essex has been hidlt about in sj^iots. 



GUNBOAT IMPROVISED. 437 

I have my crew divided off into gangs — wood-choppers^ 
coal-men, carpenters, calkers, etc. ; and we are a perfect 
workshop in ourselves." 

We venture to say a vessel was never put in a fight- 
ing condition in such a way before ; and it needed no 
prophet's ken to foretell that a vessel commanded by 
such a man would become illustrious, either by her vic- 
tories, or, like her great namesake, in her death. He 
made her sides two feet thick with timber, pacl:?d in 
also india-rubber, and over all laid a thick plating of 
iron, so that, although she was an uncouth-looking and 
somewhat unwieldy thing, she possessed formidable 
powers of resistance. She was of five hundred tons bur- 
then, and had for her armament three nine-inch Dahl- 
gren shell guns, one ten-inch Dahlgren, two fifty-pound 
rifled guns, one long thirty-two pounder, and one twenty- 
four-j)ound howitzer. Thus, though she had but few 
guns, she threw heavy metal. 

Foote assembled his fleet in the Ohio Kiver, near 
Paducah, preparatory, it was thought, to an attack on 
Columbus, the highest point in the Mississippi fortified 
by the rebels. 

In January, 1862, Foote, on watch above Columbus, 
was informed by General McClernand that several rebel 
vessels were coming u^ the river, towing a battery. 
He immediately signalled Lieutenant Paulding, of the 
St. Louis, to get under way and prepare for action. But 
just as he was starting, a thick fog settled down on 
the steamer, compelling him to steam slowly. A little 
after ten, however, it lifted, and through the thin haze 
he saw a large steamer at the head of Lucas Bend, which 
immediately blew the whistle, a signal to two other 
steamers, which in a few minutes hove in sight, and 



438 COMMODOEE WILLIAM D. POETEE. 

joined lier. Porter kept steadily on, wLen a large sliell 
came ricoclietting towards him, and burst some fifteen 
rods from him, with a loud explosion. Paying no attention 
to it. Porter swept boldly down until he got within fair 
range, when he opened his bow guns. The three rebel 
vessels now brought all their broadsides to bear, and 
the cannonading became furious. In less than half an 
hour, the enemy, finding the contest becoming too warm, 
hauled off. Porter and the St. Louis pressed after, 
working their guns with great precision. The rebel 
steamers occasionally rounded-to, to bring their broad- 
sides to bear, but they could not stop the impetuous 
Porter, and he finally drove them crippled under the 
jDrotection of their batteries. 

While on duty at this point, he endeavored in vain 
to get a fight out of the enemy. He steamed down to 
their batteries, and fired a shot in challenge ; and, having 
again and again chased the steamer Grampus back to her 
shelter, at lens-th sent the commander a challeno;e to 
come out and meet him in a fair fight. The latter ac- 
cepted it, and it was thought for a while that there 
would be an action between the two vessels ; but the 
rebel commander refused to keep his promise. 

When Foote was ready for his great move up the Ten- 
nessee, Porter was ordered to join him ; and the Essex 
constituted a part of the fleet that advanced against Fort 
Henry. The day previous to the attack, he was sent up 
the river in advance, with two other gun-boats, to make 
a reconnoissance and ascertain the exact position of the 
rebel batteries. Punning up to within a mile and a half 
of them, he opened fire, which was immediately returned. 
The enemy, bringing a twenty-four-pound rifled gun to 
bear on the Essex, succeeded, in the third fire, in sending 



ATTACK ON FORT HENRY. 439 

its huge missile right tlirougli Porter's cabin. He then 
dropped down to join the fleet, and prepare for the grand 
attack the next day. 

As Foote moved up against the fort the next 
morning, the Essex hugged him close, and, when fire was 
opened, at a thousand yards distant, she lay alongside. 
In the tremendous fire that followed she became a spe- 
cial target for the enemy's guns. The heavy shot and 
shell pounded her mailed sides with fearful violence, 
causing her to quiver from stem to stern ; yet Porter, 
side by side with the flagship, kept creeping nearer to 
the batteries, boldly pushing into the very vortex of the 
fire. Amid the horrid uproar caused by the explosion of 
the heavy guns, the crashing of shot and bursting of 
shells above, around, and against the ship, his bearing 
was grand and heroic. The firing of his gunners was 
steady, cool, and accurate, and in half an hour he had 
dismounted five of the enemy's guns. The Essex was 
now within a few hundred yards of the fort, and was 
sending her enormous shot with appalling effect into the 
garrison, when a thu'ty-two-pound shot struck just above 
the porthole, through which Porter was watching the 
effect of his fire, and, breaking through the bow, flew along 
the ship — crashed through the bulk-heads that protected 
the machinery, and landed with a heavy thud in the 
middle boiler. Young Brittain, an aid of Porter, was 
standing with his hand on the shoulder of his com- 
mander, when the shot entered the ship. The huge 
missile struck his head, carrying away half of it, scat- 
tering the brains over the paymaster standing along, 
side of him. But its last mad plunge into the boiler 
was the climax of terror. The steam instantly rushed 
forth ^vith a sound more terrific than the crash of cannon,. 



440 COMMODOEE WILLIAM D. POETEE. 

and filled all tlie vessel. The sailors, wlio had stood 
unmoved at their guns through the fearful fire of the 
last half hour, were appalled at this new foe. Shrieking 
with pain, many plunged through the port-holes into the 
river below for safety, others fell writhing along the 
deck. Porter himself lay senseless and scalded on deck. 
The two brave pilots, standing firmly at the wheel, keep- 
ing the vessel's bows dead on the rebel batteries, were so 
absorbed in their duties, that they forgot to close the 
trap-door that led from their house below. The imim- 
prisoned steam rushed up this aperture, and, quick as 
thought, wi'apped them in its fatal embrace. They made 
desperate but vain efibrts to get out. Locked firmly in, 
with no way of escape but the trap-door, through which 
the scalding vapor was rushing, they thrust their arms 
through the narrow look-outs, and, forgetful of the rain- 
ing shot, strove frantically to push their heads through, 
in order to get fresh air. But, held as firmly as though 
in an iron chamber, their struggles were vain, and soon 
ceased altogether, and the brave fellows lay scalded 
to death alongside of the wheel. Twenty-nine officers 
and men were disabled by this single shot. The noble 
vessel at once began to pay off before the current, and 
drifted helplessly out of the fight. Animated at the 
sight, the rebels sent up a loud cheer, and sprang to their 
guns with renewed vigor. Foote's right-hand man was 
gone; yet, as we have seen, he did not abandon the contest. 
The boilers of the Essex were not below the water 
line, or this disaster would not have happened. Porter 
had foreseen just such a catastrophe ; but, whatever else 
he could do with his ferry-boat, he could not get his 
boilers beyond the reach of danger, though he protected 
them in every way in his power. 



EEPAIELNG OF THE ESSEX. 441 

The manner in wMcli the boat was handled may be 
gathered from the fact that, in the short time she was in 
action, Porter had fired seventy-five rounds. The next 
day the Essex droj)ped down the river, carrying her sad 
load with her. 

Porter's wounds were thought at first to be mortal, 
or at least so severe as permanently to disable him. It 
was feared that he would become totally blind. Weeks 
of suffering followed ; but, owing to good care and a fine 
constitution, he at length began to recover. The news 
of further naval triumphs was borne to his ears, and, 
though he rejoiced at every victory won by our brave 
tars, the feeling that he could not share in their dangers 
and successes made his long confinement tenfold more 
wearisome. 

It was now determined to overhaul the Essex thor- 
oughly and make her much stronger than ever, acd she 
was ordered to St. Louis and put on the stocks. Porter, 
though partially blind, resolved to go with her to superin- 
tend, as far as possible, the work. Here, besides attending 
to his own vessel, he designed and built two gunboats, 
the Fort Henry and Choctaw, for the Government. His 
original designs were not fully carried out, much to his 
regret, for he confidently believed that had they been, 
they would have proved the most powerful boats on the 
"Western waters. 

The Essex was lengthened forty feet ; the pilot-house 
placed low, and admirably protected, and her casemates 
made higher, while her boilers were placed below the 
water-line. By the last of June she was again ready for 
service, and so was her gallant commander. Her forward 
casemate of wood was two feet and a half thick, plated 
with india-rubber one inch thick, and iron an inch and 



442 COMMODOEE WILLIAM D. PORTER. 

tliree-quarters tMck. Her side casemates had about 
half the thickness of wood, the same plating of rubber, 
and iron three-quarters of an inch thick. She had false 
sides to protect her against rams, and forty-two water- 
tight compartments, so as to render her secure against 
sinking, even though she should be half knocked to 
pieces. 

Foote, having been disabled in the attack on Fort 
Doneldson, was at length compelled to withdraw from 
active service, and Davis was placed in chief command. 
With the aid of the anny the Mississippi was cleared 
by him down to Vicksburg. 

On the 9th of July, Porter started down the river, and, 
on the 13th. joined the fleet before this place. Farragut 
was below with Porter's brother, who commanded the 
mortar fleet. 

It Avas well known by oui' naval officers there that a 
powerful ram, called the Arkansas, had been built by 
the rebels, and Avas towed down the river after the fall 
of Memphis, and now lay concealed upon one of the trib- 
utaries of the Mississippi. It was also believed that 
she was a more formidable vessel than any we had 
on the Mississippi, and hence a good deal of anxiety 
was felt concerning her whereabouts. On the even- 
ing of the 14th, soon after his arrival, Porter took 
one of his officers and went ashore opposite Vicksburg 
to make a reconnoissance. In prosecuting it, he took 
two rebel prisoners, or deserters, who told him the Ar- 
kansas was up the Yazoo. These prisoners were sent to 
Davis, on board the flag-ship, and he, the next day, 
at daylight, sent the Tyler and Carondelet and ram 
Lancaster up the Yazoo, to ascertain where she lay, and 
what was her condition. These vessels had not pro- 



THE EEBEL EAM AEKANSAS. 443 

ceeded far wlien they descried tlie rebel monster slowly 
steaming down the stream. Fearing they would be 
sunk, they wheeled and retreated, firing theii" stern 
guns as they fell back. The Arkansas immediately 
opened on them with her heavy guns, and soon the 
Carondelet was so disabled that she had to seek safety in 
shallow water, where she grounded. The fleet below 
heard the firing, and soon discovered that it was steadily 
coming nearer. Immediately everything was astir, and 
the vessels got in line of battle across the river, to pre- 
vent her passage down to Vicksburg. Soon only a nar- 
row strip of land separated the heavy explosions from 
the Mississippi, and in a few minutes the three vessels 
hove in sight around this point under a full head of 
steam. All eyes were now turned in that du-ection, 
when, lo ! the head of the monster shoved around the 
point, and, a moment later, her huge form lay clearly 
exposed as all alone she headed boldly towards the 
whole fleet, that seemed to cover the bosom of the stream. 
Conscious of her strength and invulnerability, she proud- 
ly flung down the gauntlet to the whole. There was 
something grand in this solitary vessel thus sending her 
challenge to our combined fleet, for Farragut, with several 
vessels, had run the batteries, and was now with Davis. 
As she approached, every gun that could bear was lev- 
elled at her. Keeping on her stately way, she ap- 
proached the Richmond, which gave her a broadside ; 
but the heavy shot rattled like peas against her mailed 
sides. Other vessels followed suit, and at length she 
approached Farragut's ship, the Hartford, when another 
broadside was poured in. She, however, did not deign 
a reply. The Essex, which was to know more of her in 
the fature, also gave her a broadside. The ram Lancas- 



444 COMMODOEE WILLIAM D. POETER. 

ter was disabled ; but notliing availed to stoj) the Arkan- 
sas, and slie kept on ker way, pursued by tke Benton, 
till ske was safe under tke protection of tke Vicksburg 
batteries. It was a strange spectacle wkick tkose gallant 
commanders witnessed on tkat pleasant July morning. 
Tke wkole fleet kad been bearded by a single boat, and 
it was evident tkere was misckief in ker wkick must in 
some way be warded off. Besides, ker kaugkty bear- 
ing kad roused tke indignation of tke officers and 
men, and tke insult must be wiped out. A general 
council of war was called of all tke commanders, to take 
into consideration wkat skould be done. Tkis formid- 
able vessel migkt make ker way to New Orleans and 
destroy our entire fleet tkere, and take possession of tke 
city. Ske seemed more impregnable tkan tke Merrimac, 
tke terror of wkose name still filled tke land. Ske was 
about one kundred and eigkty feet long, witk sixty feet 
breadtk of beam, and pointed witk an enormous beak 
of iron fastened forward, weigking 18,000 pounds, and 
so firmly fixed tkat scarcely any skock would dislo- 
cate it. Her armament consisted of six eigkt-inck and 
four fifty-pound rifled guns. Ske lay now in tke water 
witk slanting sides, inclining at an angle of about forty- 
five degrees, tkougk not coming to a point, like tke 
Merrimac, but ending in a flat top. Tkese sides were 
eigkteen inckes tkick, of solid timber, covered witk 
rail-road iron, wkick rendered ker so impervious tkat our 
skot rattled like kail on ker as ske passed. Ske kad two 
propellers tkat worked independently of eack otker, so 
tkat if one gave out or was disabled, tke otker would 
still move tke vessel. Her engines were below tke 
water-line, and well protected against skot and skell. It 
was very plain tkat suck a formidable enemy must in 



BOMBAEDMENT OF VICKSBUEG. 445 

some way be got rid of, or all our ligMer armed boats 
and vessels would be in constant jeopardy. 

After mature deliberation, it was resolved to make a 
combined attack on the batteries, and during tke engage- 
ment destroy the Ai^kausas, wMck lay under their pro- 
tection. This was done that very evening, and a tremen- 
dous bombardment opened on Vicksburg, during which 
Farragut again passed below to the remainder of his 
fleet, though without inflicting any damage on the Ar- 
kansas. It was becoming more palpable every day that 
the two fleets alone could never take Vicksburg. They 
needed the cooperation of a powerful land force. But 
it was felt on all hands that our naval reputation 
in the West demanded that no rebel fleet or vessels of 
war should exercise any control there or menace the 
existence of our own. Yet this ram had dared to pass 
leisurely through our whole fleet, compelling the lighter 
vessels to take refuge in flight. She was now evidently 
employing her time in strengthening herself still more, 
and was taking on munitions of war preparatory to some 
decided move ; but, if allowed to get under way, there 
was no certainty of being able to stop her. 

While matters were in this unsettled and perilous 
shape. Porter offered to go down alone, and, under the 
concentrated, overwhelming fire of the batteries on shore, 
engage single-handed this monster, that unprotected had 
defied the whole fleet. Officers, that no dans^er could 
daunt, looked amazed at this desperate proposition ; but 
Porter was so confident that he could hold his own against 
the batteries on shore, and the ram to boot, that it 
was finally resolved to grant his strange request. When 
it is remembered that the Arkansas mounted fom-teen 
and the Essex but seven guns, and that the crew of the 



446 COM^IODORE WILLIAM D. PORTER. 

former trebled that of the latter, making the encounter 
between the vessels alone a desperate undertaking, and 
that over a hundred guns on shore, trained on the 
Essex, increased this disparity a hundredfold, one can 
imagine what sort of undertaking Porter proposed to 
himself, and what a bold and daring commander he 
was. Everthing being ready, he, at four o'clock on the 
morning of the 2 2d, weighed anchor, and slowly steamed 
down the river. Moving steadily through the fleet, 
greeted with many a warm wish for success, the Essex 
passed down alone, her flag flying proudly in the morn- 
ing breeze. As she rounded the point that hid her from 
the enemy's batteries, the astonished foe beheld a single 
gunboat in broad daylight, deliberately entering the 
volcano ready to receive her. The next minute the 
upper batteries opened, and the echoes of the heavy guns 
rolling up and down the river, announced to the fleets 
above and below that Porter had entered on his daring 
undertaking. Shot and shell fell fast as rain-drops on 
the mailed sides of the Essex, creating a din like the 
pounding of workmen on a boiler. Not a shot replied. 
Silent and stern, her flag gayly kissing the summer air, 
that dark form headed straight for the tenible water 
batteries, under the guns of which the Arkansas lay 
moored. It seemed impossible that under such a fire as 
was poured into her, she would ever be able even to 
reach the object she was aiming at, much less withstand 
the broadsides that awaited her. But she never swerved 
nor faltered, but kept silently, steadily, on her terrible 
way, till she got within close pistol-shot, when she opened 
her forward battery of nine-inch guns, and the ponder- 
ous shells were hurled with awful power into the motion- 
less ram. Porter, however, had no intention of settling 



ENCOUNTEE WITH THE AEKANSAS. 447 

the conflict with his guns — he was determined, while 
under full headway, to strike her with his armed bow, 
and sink her at her moorings. The commander of the 
Arkansas, divining his object, suddenly let go his bow- 
line, when the ram, caught by the current, swung out 
into the stream, so that the Essex missed her blow, and, 
grazing along the sides of her antagonist, was carried by 
hei' great headv/ay plump into the bank, where she re- 
mained fast aground. Her engines stopped, and for a 
few minutes she became the target of the most terrific 
fire that ever was concentrated on a single vessel. Soon, 
however, the two vessels floated so close together that 
a tow-line could have been thrown aboard of either, 
when most of the shore batteries dared not fire lest 
they should hit the Arkansas. In this close proximity 
Porter opened his nine-inch battery. The heavy shot, 
backed by the most powerful charges the guns could 
bear, and fired with the muzzles almost touching 
the sides of the ram, tore up her ii'on plating as if it 
had been nothing but so much pine lumber. A yell 
of teiTor arose from the terror-stricken crew as these 
ponderous missiles of death crashed and burst among 
them. Wrapped in her o^vn smoke, the Essex main- 
tained this teiTific conflict for some time, when, drift- 
ing down by the force of the current, she again be- 
came the target for the batteries on shore. Porter 
expected the fleets to divert their fire by making a 
combined attack on them ; but, seeing no evidence that 
this had taken place, and fearing that he would soon 
become disabled in this unequal contest, he dropped 
down the river, running the gauntlet of the hostile fire. 

The result showed that Porter had not overrated the 
impregnability of his vessel, for, notwithstanding the 



448 COMMODOEE WILLIAM D. POETEE. 

overwhelming fire to wliicli slie had been exposed, only- 
two shots pierced her. One shell exploded in her 
sides, tearing away her timbers and disabling several of 
her crew. The other, a sixty-eight pound shot, struck 
her aft quarter, and, crashing through her mailed side, 
passed through the captain's cabin, scattering destruction 
in its path, and finally stoj^ped in the other side against 
the iron plating. The smoke-stack was riddled with 
shot, while indentations in the iron casing in every di? 
rection, showed how terrible had been the iron hail. 

Porter had failed in his great object, yet he had tested 
the power of his vessel ; and, notwithstanding the formid- 
able character of the ram, determined, if he ever got a 
chance for a single-handed combat with her, he would 
fight her till one or the other went to the bottom of the 
river. 

The small land force under General Williams, which 
was to cooperate in the capture of Vicksburg, having be- 
come a prey to the malaria that prevails in this region 
in the hot summer months, it was resolved to remove 
it. Thus the siege of Vicksburg was abandoned for 
the time, and Farragut with his fleet dropped down to 
New Orleans. But the Essex belonged to Davis' fleet 
above the city, and Porter wi'ote to his commander for 
orders what to do. In re]3ly, he received permission to 
ci'uise between Vicksburg and Baton Pouge. He was 
not destined to remain idle long, for. General Williams 
having repaired to Baton Pouge, Breckenridge deter- 
mined to attack him there, assisted by the ram Arkansas 
and other gunboats ; and, on the fifth of the next month, 
made his appearance before the place, driving our troops 
before him. Porter, who had been informed of this, 
stationed the Essex and two other gunboats so as to 



DESTRUCTION OF THE REBEL RAM. 449 

arrest the progress of tlie enemy. The Arkansas, while 
at Vicksburg, had her deck plated with iron, and still 
further protected with cotton bales, which the expeii- 
ence she had gained in that fierce encounter with the 
Essex, had taught her was necessary. Having communi- 
cated with Breckenridge, she left her moorings and 
started for Baton Eouge, to assist in the attack. But 
one of the engines gave way before she reached the 
place, and she was obliged to stop for repairs, so that 
she could not take part in the engagement. Porter 
expected her down, and had kept a sharp lookout, well 
knowing that if the ponderous structure once fairly 
struck him, he would be inevitably sunk. At length, 
when the rebels were repulsed — the gallant Williams 
falling in the very hour of victoiy — he determined 
to hunt her up. Proceeding up stream, he, at ten 
o'clock, came in sight of her, and at once opened fire. 
The Arkansas at the time was moored to the shore, and 
at once cleared for action. After a short conflict, Porter 
all the while steaming nearer, the engineer of the Ar- 
kansas reported that her engines were repaired, so that 
they would last half a day. This was most welcome 
news to her commander, and he immediately ordered the 
lines cut away ; and moved straight down towards the 
Essex, determined, with one resistless blow of his iron 
beak, to send her to the bottom. Porter saw her com- 
ing, and, bidding his gunners take good aim, sent the 
heavy shot and shell from his nine-inch bow guns, which, 
mailed as she was, went through and through her. One 
of these struck either her engines or steering apparatus, 
so that she became partially unmanageable ; and Reed, 
her commander, ordered her to be run ashore. This was 
done, when with her stern guns she continued the com- 

29 



450 COMMODORE WILLIAM D. PORTEE. 

bat. TMs was just wliat Porter wanted. No longer com 
pelled to manoeuvre liis vessel so as to prevent being run 
down by his more powerful adversary, lie steamed up so 
close that his heavy shot could pierce the mailed sides 
of his antagonist, and raked her with a terrible fire. 
At length, finding a spot where he could send in, as he 
says, an incendiary shell, he set her on fire, when the 
crew, fearful of an explosion, escaped in wild alarm to 
the shore. The flames made rapid headway, the smoke 
pufiing out of her ports in vast volumes. It was soon 
evident that this terror of the Western waters, and hope 
and pride of the rebels, on which such labor and experi- 
ence had been lavished, was beyond human helj). As 
the fire gained headway, and burst forth in vast sheets 
of flame on every side, shooting up in the air, and 
•^vreathing in their fiery embrace the blackened form, the 
M'opes that held her to the shore bm-ned off, she swung 
heavily into the stream, and began to drift slowly down- 
"vvard — a deserted, helpless thing. The raging fire lit 
up her interior like a furnace, exposing to view the 
ragged holes made by Porter's shot. Casting a bale- 
ful light on the water, she kept on her flaming path- 
way, till within four miles of Baton Rouge, when 
the fire reached the magazine, containing eighteen 
thousand pounds of powder! A sudden lift of the 
mighty monster, with a great convulsive throe — a swift 
rush into the air of a vast mass of smoke and flame, 
mingled with burning timber and fragments of ii'on, fol- 
lowed by an explosion that shook the shores, and was 
heard miles away — and down went the long-dreaded ram 
Arkansas to the bottom of the Mississippi. In reporting 
to the Department, Farragut said : " It is one of the hap- 
piest moments of my life that I am enabled to inform the 



ATTACK BY GUERILLAS. 451 

Department of tlie destruction of tlie ram Arkansas, not 
because tliat I lield the iron-clad in such terror, but be- 
cause the community did." 

The Essex having made the necessary repairs, steamed 
up the Mississippi on the 9th of August, to procure coal 
at Bayou Sara, some thirty miles distant. Anchoring 
before the town. Porter was waited on by the mayor of 
the place, with whom he made arrangements by which 
private property was to be respected if the inhabitants 
remained peaceable, delivering up the coal lying on the 
wharf and releasing the Federal prisoners confined on 
shore. He remained here till the 14th, when, being joined 
by the Sumter, he left her in charge of a guard, 
and returned to Baton Rouge. Hearing that it was 
the intention to evacuate the place, he remonstrated 
against it, and moreover wrote to New Orleans, begging 
that gunboats might be sent him, so that he could pre- 
vent fortifications being erected at Port Hudson, which 
he represented as a most important point. He sent a 
dispatch also to Washington, begging only for a small 
force with which he would prevent the place being 
fortified. He said that it was the principal point for the 
transmission of supplies to the Confederate armies from 
Texas, and the rich valley of the Red River. His repre- 
sentations however were unheeded, and the rebels, as he 
foretold, soon made it one of the strongest places on the 
river. The stupidity of the Government in not heeding 
his advice cost us. afterwards thousands of brave men, 
whose death lies at the door of those in power at Wash- 
inorton. 

o 

Lying off Baton Rouge till the 23d, Porter again 
went up to Bayou Sara after the coal he had left there. 
The Sumter, which was appointed to stand sentinel over 



452 COMMODOEE WILLIAJI D. PORTER. 

it, got aground, and the commander, fearing an attack, 
had abandoned her, when she was set on fire by the 
inhabitants. 

On his arrival, he found the greatest part of it had 
been burned. Sending a boat's crew on shore to see if 
any more could be found, it was fired upon by concealed 
guerrillas. The crew immediately fell back to the shore, 
when Porter opened on the place with shot and shell, 
which soon scattered the enemy. He then ordered the 
houses on the levee to be burned, near which the coal lay, 
in order to keep back any lurking guerrillas ; then, taking 
in what fuel he wanted, steamed down to Port Hudson 
to see what progress the enemy was making in erect- 
ing batteries there. As he predicted, they were fast 
going up. He cannonaded them for awhile, when un- 
fortunately his ten-inch pivot-gun burst. He, however, 
continued to lay near the place for two days, shelling 
the woods and the earthworks going up. Returning to 
Bayou Sara to get some coal he had left behind, and being 
again attacked by guerrillas, he burned the town to the 
ground, and, leaving it a desolation, proceeded up to 
Red River for the purpose of ascending it. The low 
state of water, however, prevented his crossing the bar 
at the mouth of the stream. But hearing that two 
transports loaded with cattle, cotton, and other com- 
modities, and convoyed by a gunboat, had left the day 
before for Natchez, he immediately started in pursuit, 
but on reaching Natchez on the 1st of September he 
found the vessels gone. The next day he sent ashore a 
portion of his crew to procure ice for his sick and 
wounded men. No hostilities were anticipated, as here- 
tofore the inhabitants had been peaceable and orderly. 
But just before the unsuspecting crew reached the shore, 



^BOMBAEDMENT OF NATCHEZ. 453 

a sudden volley from two hundred citizens, anned witli 
muskets, was poured into them. One seaman was in- 
stantly killed, and five others, with the officer in charge, 
were wounded. As these pale and bleeding men were 
brought over the vessel's side. Porter's brow grew dark 
as wrath, and the stern, sharp order to clear for action 
and to beat to quarters, showed that there was to be no 
demand for explanations, but swift, temble vengeance. 
The next moment the heavy guns of the Essex broke the 
stillness, and shells went bursting along the streets of 
the city. For nearly an hour and a half an incessant fire 
was kept up, carrying havoc and destruction. The ene- 
my, concealed in houses near the shore, swept, in the 
mean time the deck of the Essex with a steady fire of 
musketry. During the bombardment, the Essex exploded 
another nine-inch gun. Probably it would have been 
better had Porter first given the women and children 
time to leave the place ; but the treachery of the act and 
the bleeding forms of his men borne back to the ship, 
left no room in his heart for any other feeling but ven- 
geance. If he was to blame, much more was the mayor, 
who refused to hoist a flag of truce, which would have 
stopped the fire. 

Having taught the people of Natchez a severe les- 
son. Porter steamed up to Vicksburg, to see what could 
be done there. Finding the fortifications immensely 
strengthened, and that Davis' fleet had left the place, he 
deemed it imprudent to join it by running the batteries, 
for, should he suceed in getting through, it might be in a 
disabled state ; and, being already reduced by sickness 
to one officer and thirty men, and, some of these, negroes 
who had been trained to work the guns, he determined 
to go to New Orleans, which he was j)ermitted to do in 



454 COMMODOEE WILLIAM D. POETE^. 

case of necessity, and recruit his exhausted stores, and 
repair liis vessel. And so, after bombarding tlie bat- 
teries below Vicksburg for a couple of hours, he turned 
the bow of the Essex down stream ; and, on the 6th of 
September, anchored once more in the poii; of Natchez. 
He immediately despatched a letter ashore to the mayor, 
demanding the suiTender of the city. An arrangement 
was soon effected, by which the city stipulated hereafter 
to respect the flag of the United States. Porter then 
kept on towards New Orleans, and the next day ap- 
proached Port Hudson, where new, heavy batteries were 
erected. No sooner did he come within rano-e of their 
heavy guns, than a tremendous fire was 023ened on him- 
The Essex returned it, keeping steadily on till she came 
to the central battery, located in the extreme bend of the 
river, which at that point was not over five hundred 
yards across. Porter had to come within thirty yards 
of this, when he received a terrible pounding. Iron and 
timber gave way before the heavy shot ; and for awhile 
it seemed as if the Essex, strong as she was, would be 
knocked to pieces. Porter, however, held slowly on his 
way, returning the fire with such precision, that he 
made a wreck of one of the batteries. For an hour and 
a half he maintained the unequal fight, when, finding his 
ammunition getting low, he droj^ped down beyond 
range, and kept on to New Orleans. Here he found 
awaiting him his promotion to the rank of Commodore, 
although the navy advisoiy board, for some extraordi- 
nary reason, had omitted his name among those proposed 
for promotion. The President, however, could under- 
stand his merits and appreciate his conduct without any 
advisory naval board. 

This promotion did not come a moment too soon, for 



HIS PROMOTION AND DEATH. 455 

disease was rapidly undermining liis naturally strong 
constitution, and in a short time lie was compelled to 
ask to be relieved, that he might go East to get medical 
advice. He, however, continued to grow worse, and soon 
after died in St. Luke's- Hospital, New York, into which 
he was received for the purpose of giving him the care 
he needed. Thus, at the age of fifty-three, in the prime 
of his life, passed away this able commander. A brave 
man, a thorough officer, a fearless fighter, had he lived 
he would have placed his name foremost among those 
naval heroes that adorn our history. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

EEAR-ADMIRAL JOHN A. DAHLGREN. 

HIS BIRTH AND ANOESTEY. — ENTERS THE NAVY. — FIRST CRUISE. — ON THE 
COAST SURVEY, UNDER HA8SLER. — DISTINGUISHED AS A MATHEMATICIAN. 
— HASSLER's ESTIMATION OF HIS ABILITY. — MADE SAILING-MASTER IN 
THE SOUTHERN EXPLORING EXPEDITION. — DECLINES THE APPOINTMENT. — 
LOSES THE USE OF HIS EYES, — GOES TO PARIS. — PAIXHAN GUN. — GOES ON 
A FARM. — CRUISE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. — ASSIGNED TO ORDNANCE 
DUTY. — PLACED OVER THE ROCKET DEPARTMENT. — HIS LABORS. — TESTS 
THE RANGE OF THE 32-POUNDERS OF THE NAVY. — ORIGINATES THE BOAT 
HOWITZER. — RESOLVES TO REVOLUTIONIZE NAVAL ARMAMENT. — HISTORY 

OF HIS DIFFICULTIES AND FINAL SUCCESS. SHELL GUNS. — PUBLISHES HIS 

WORK ON BOAT ARMAMENT. — OTHER WORKS. — " SHELLS AND SHELL 
GUNS." — SAILS IN THE PLYMOUTH TO TEST HIS OWN GUNS. — SETTLES 
DIFFICULTIES IN MEXICO. — DESIGNS A FOUNDERY. — RIFLED GUNS. — PLACED 
OVER THE NAVY YARD AT WASHINGTON. — PREPARES FOR AN ATTACK. — 
ACCOUNT OF HIS SERVICES HERE. — INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT LINCOLN. 
— CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF ORDNANCE. — HIS. SON ULRIO. — PLACED 
OVER THE SOUTH ATLANTIC BLOCKADING SQUADRON. — HIS SERVICES 
BEFORE CHARLESTON, AND HIS DIFFICULTIES WITH GILLMORE. — CLOSE 
OF THE WAR. — IMPRESSIVE FUNERAL CEREMONIES OF HIS SON — HIS 
CHARACTER. 

It is not often that, after a series of great naval vie 
tories by others, a man who took little part in them can 
point back to years of peace, and say, " Then I was laying 
the foundation of them all;" but this Dahlgren can with 
perfect truth assert. In almost every action that has 
been fought, he can see the triumph of his inventive 



HIS ANCESTEY. 457 

genius, and, in the trial of all kinds of ordnance in actual 
combat, the complete success of his own. A ship's 
armament cannot be given, without mentioning the name 
of Dahlgren, and it occurs in the report of almost every 
combat that has occurred, till he seems to be omnipresent 
in the navy. 

It is a little singular, that our navy should be so 
much indebted to Sweden for the great changes that 
have come over it. Ericcson, a Swede, gave us the 
monitors, and the son of a Swede has entirely revolu- 
tionized the armament of our vessels of war, for the father 
of Dahlgren was a native of Sweden, and educated at 
Upsala. A ripe scholar, he emigrated while still a 
young man to this country, and engaged in mercantile 
pursuits in Philadelphia. He married into one of the 
old wealthy families of that city — distinguished in our 
War for Independence for their patriotism. Rowan, 
Dahlgren's grandfather, fought bravely at Princeton and 
Germantown. John, the eldest son, was born in Novem- 
ber, 1809, in Philadelphia, on the spot where now stands 
the City Exchange. 

The father died in 1824, leaving only enough property 
to support the widow, and John early sought to obtain a 
midshipman's berth in the navy. His application was at 
lirst refused, and he came very near giving up all hopes of 
securing the appointment. But fortunately for the coun- 
try, he at last succeeded, and received his warrant, Feb. 
1st, 1826. His first cruise was in the Macedonian, 
the British ship captured by us in the war of 1812. 
Her commander was Commodore Biddle, who in the 
same war captured the sloop-of-war Penguin. Dahlgren 
served six years, and then passed his examination, and 
received the warrant of passed Midshipman. He was re- 



458 EEAE-ADMIEAL JOHN A. DAHLGEElf. 

markable for his proficiency in mathematics, and hence was 
detached from the regular service, and put on the coast 
survey, under Mr. Hassler, who at the time had no equal 
as a mathematician in the country. He was selected to 
serve in the triangulation of the survey, and assist in 
the astronomical observations, as well as the measure- 
ment of the base on Long Island — the first base line ever 
measured scientifically in this country — that of Mason 
and Dixon being merely a chain and compass measure- 
ment. 

So high was Hassler's opinion of his mathematical 
skill, that he chose him to make the counter calculations 
of the base, to compare with and verify his own. He 
was engaged in these labors from 1834 to 1836, when 
he was selected to assist in making observations of the 
solar eclipses of that year. In the autumn, he was 
ofi'ered the appointment of sailing-master in the Mace- 
donian, which had been selected as the flag-ship in the 
Southern Exploring Expedition. He declined it because 
he did not think it would ever sail until reorganized. 
His views proved to be correct, for it was deferred, 
remodelled, and eventually sailed under Wilkes. 

He was now detailed from the second triangulation, 
to assist in the first trials of the great theodolite of 
Houghton which had just been completed for Hassler. 
On this occasion heliotropes were first used in this coun- 
try in the survey, instead of tin cones, and their glittering 
points could be seen by the naked eye from stations at 
the astonishing distance of thirty or forty miles. 

In the winter of 1837, he was engaged in bringing 
up the work of the summer. This being done, Hassler 
made him second assistant in the survey, and gave him 
charge of a party of triangulation. No higher compli- 



LOSES THE USE OF HIS EYES. 459 

ment could be paid his matliematical ability thaii tbis. 
for no other naval officer has ever held this position. 

In the spring he was promoted to lieutenant, and 
received sailing orders. But his naturally strong eyes 
began now to show the evils of overwork, and he had 
to give up everything in order to save them. It was 
hard — -just as he was about to receive the reward of his 
incredible labor, to see it slip fi'om his hands, and be 
compelled to sit down in idleness. The weary summer 
passed away, but his disease seemed beyond the reach 
of medical skill. As a last resort he went to Paris to 
consult Sichel, the celebrated oculist. Here, to his great 
joy, his eyes began to improve. About this time 
Paixhan was trying to draw the attention of the French 
Government to his system of firing shells, and Dahlgren, 
finding that he could work again, translated his pamph- 
let, and had it printed at his own expense, to distribute 
in our navy. He also sent a copy to the board of com- 
missioners ; but the red-tape system still had sway, and 
we did nothing but follow French and English pre- 
cedent. 

In 1839, Dahlgren married, and retired for a time 
into the country to establish his health. For two years 
this man of untiring industry and keenly active mind 
never read a word, but labored diligently on a farm to 
regain his health. This course saved his eyes, and he 
was at length able to return to the service, when he was 
detailed to the receiving-ship at Philadelphia. 

In 1843, Dahlgren, leaving his family of three chil- 
dren, one of whom was Ulric, went to sea in the frigate 
Cumberland under Commodore, now Admiral, Joseph 
Smith, and cruised in the Mediterranean. Foote was 
first lieutenant, and a friendship on this cruise sprung 



460 EEAR-ADMIRAL JOHN A. DAHLGREN. 

up between tlie two officers, wiicli lasted for twenty 
years, unmarred by a single misunderstanding. 

Returninsr at tlie commencement of the war with 

o 

Mexico, be was assigned to ordnance duty, though he 
applied for active service. 

In 1847 he was placed over the Rocket Department 
just then being introduced. Everything was in confusion, 
yet he was able by his great energy to manufacture and 
send off, in a short time, a lot of rockets to the Mexican 
coast. 

Seeing the want of system in the ordnance work, 
Dahlgren proposed to collect the scattered parts into a 
department. The bureau approved of his views and 
directed him to take charge of the matter. He could 
not wait to put up large buildings, and so he had the 
ship timber cleared out of one end of a timber shed, 
and there set up the first ordnance workshop of the 
country. For seven years he occupied these limited 
quarters, and there devised the present armament of 
the navy. From such small beginnings arose the present 
great establishment. There too commenced the most 
important revolution in the arming of ships that ever oc- 
curred. Dahlgren could wdth difficulty obtain a room to 
wi'ite in ; but, as he said, " the field was ample and al- 
most untouched, and my will was good." 

A board of officers in 1845 had recommended the 
introduction of guns of a uniform size in the navy — 
3 2 -pounders, in imitation of the English system — and 
Dahlgren was now to fix sights on these and ascertain 
theii' range. But there being no level ground near, suf- 
ficiently extensive for his purpose, he proposed to sub- 
stitute for it the smooth surface of the river. But such 
an experimeni Soy accurate results had never been tried, 



BOAT nOWITZEE. 461 

and lie Lad to devise some means to determine with pre- 
cision the jet of water thrown up by the shot when it 
struck the surface. The ingenious method by which he 
overcame all difficulties is too scientific for popular ap- 
prehension — it is sufficient to say that his success was 
perfect — for nothing seemed too difficult for his inven- 
tive mind. With no aid but a mechanic, he worked out 
his problem, a full account of which may be found in 
his report to the Bureau. He soon discovered that this 
unit system of 32-pounders robbed us of some of our 
best guns, and was a foolish imitation of a false system, 
and hence began to plan his great revolution in naval 
armament. 

But another subject of almost equal importance began 
at the same time to occupy his teeming brain. The 
navy had no boat guns — some old carronade or army 
piece serving as such in case of necessity — and he de- 
termined to create a " naval light artillery." Carrying 
out his project, he submitted to the Bureau a system 
of howitzer boat armament, and asked leave to prosecute 
the work. He knew the difficulties that he would have 
to encounter in introducing changes in the navy ; but 
he resolved to make the attempt. He had, up to this 
time, never seen a gun cast, or finished, or drafted, or 
had computed one himself. Although he had only the 
most primitive means at hand, yet the first gun was 
made — and there being no boring lathe in the yard, he 
had it finished on an ordinary lathe. It required a pe- 
culiar carriage, and this he also devised. 

Having at length completed his experimental piece, 
he invited Warrington, the chief of the Bureau, to come 
down and see it. The old hero had been delighted at 
his success in sighting the 32-pounders, and his ingen- 



462 EEAK-ADJUEAL JOHN A. DAHLGREK 

ions metliod of getting fheir ranges, and was, therefore, 
in a mood to look favorably on any scheme which Dahl- 
gren might propose. 

The practice of the piece equalled his most sanguine 
expectations, and it was afterwards constantly exhibited 
to officers and tried in every possible way. Vindicating 
its claims under every ordeal, it had to be pronounced 
a complete success, and from that time dates the boat 
howitzer system. Though he met with after opposi- 
tion, he triumphed over it all, and in 1850, the Navy 
Department recognized the system and ordered a fall 
compliance with it, and it remains at this day unaltered 
from its first design, 

A full and interesting account of the whole matter, 
together with a description of the piece, its mode of 
firing, plates, &c., will be found in a book published by 
him, entitled " Boat Armament of the United States 
Navy." It is full of interest, even to the non-professional 
reader. 

Dahlgren had now made one great stride forward ; 
he had, besides, got the entering wedge into the old, 
clumsy, stereotyped system, and he meant to drive it 
home. Stepping out in the bold originality of true 
genius, he planned no less than the overthrow of the 
whole system of naval armament. Penetrating with his 
acute mind the weakness of that of England and France, 
which we had tamely copied, he determined to show to 
the world one of his own, and invoke the test of actual 
experiment to prove its value. 

No one but a person similarly situated, can appre- 
ciate how herculean was the task which Dahlgren had 
assigned himself ; for he needed the lever of Archimedes 
to lift the world of prejudice opposed to him. Like 



SHIP ARMAMENT. , 463 

Galileo, who, after long watcMng the heavens through 
his diminutive telescope, at last exclaimed " il inuove^'' 
" it moves ; " so Dahlgren, after his long reflection and 
observation said, it moves — the world moves, and by 
its motion overthrows systems hoary with age, and 
strengthened by the verdict of generations. 

Archimedes said he would lift the world, if he had 
anything to stand on — so with Dahlgren; he wanted 
something to stand on in his gigantic effort, and that, 
was infiuence. This he knew he could not secure from 
the Navy; for those who represented it had recently 
decided on the 32-pounder system. He must, therefore, 
fall back on actual facts to get it, and he set to work 
to amass such a body of these, as even prejudice could 
not override. This he did, unobserved by any one, as 
he watched each day's practice. An accident, in the 
mean time, unexpectedly came to his aid. He had stated 
to the chief that the poioerful guns of the 32-pounder 
system lacked accuracy, and the accurate ones lacked 
power. 

On the 13th of November, 1849, a new heavy 32- 
pounder burst, on being fired, killing the gunner, while 
a fragment of it weighing two thousand pounds tore up 
the earth within a foot of Dahlgren. Dahlgren had pre- 
viously asked leave to submit a draft of a gun of his 
own, and this accident gave force to his request, and he 
drafted the 9-inch shell gun. This was in 1850 — the 
same year in which he published his first work on ord- 
nance, being the report on " practice with 3 2 -pounders," 
— and before it closed he had the satisfaction of seeing 
his first 9-inch gun laid on the wharf of the Navy Yard. 
During the session of Congress, being applied to by the 
chairman of the naval committee for some information 



464 KEAK-ADMIRAL JOHN A. DAHLGREN. 

respecting war steamers, lie sketched a large propeller, 
to be armed with the heavy cannon on hand, " going," 
he said, " as far as he considered safe in intrenching on 
old ideas." 

His 9-inch gun proving to be a success in every way, 
he asked for the casting of an 11-inch gun. The chief, 
Warrington, granted his request, saying that he " never 
gave his confidence hy lialvesT This liberality of view 
does him great credit, for he had to stand almost alone 
by Dahlgren, who was looked upon by many as a dan- 
gerous innovator — his pieces being uncouth in form com- 
pared to ordinary cannon, while to talk of an entire bat- 
tery of shell-guns, was downright heresy. He, however, 
finished his 11-inch gun, and his firm friend Warrington 
lived just long enough to know of its completion, when 
he suddenly died. His death was a great misfortune to 
Dahlgren, and delayed the fulfilment of his plans for 
several years. 

This year, being one of a board of commissioners ap- 
pointed by the Secretary of War to investigate and report 
on coast defences, he, in his paper, introduced his plan, 
of a screw frigate with 9-inch guns on the gun deck 
and a pivot 10 or 11-inch on the spar deck — all shell 
guns — but to be capable of filing shot if necessary. 
This was printed by order of Congress. 

Thus he was gradually preparing the way for more 
decided action. In 1852, at the request of the chairman 
of the Naval Committee, Mr. Stanton, he gave his views 
in full to Congress. The latter made an able speech, in 
which he fortified his views with lengthy quotations from 
Dahlgren's paper, and moved an appropriation to carry 
out his plan. But meeting the opposition of the Navy 
Department and some of the bureaus, his resolution fail- 



THE NEW FEIGATES. 465 

ed, and Dahlgren had still to wait and hope on. This 
year he published his work on boat armament. 

In 1853, while maturing his plans and collecting facts, 
he published his third work on ordnance, " Percussion 
Primers and Locks." 

The necessity of steam instead of sailing frigates be- 
coming more palpable every day, an appropriation for 
building them was obtained. They were to be 3000 tons 
burthen, the largest ever built ; but it was found that the 
regulation cannon, thirty-two pounders, would not answer 
for them, and here, as if to meet this very exigency, came 
in DahVren s armament. Althoudi a facetious old gen- 
tleman called the queer-looking cannon tadpoles, Dahlgren 
told him he would find they would be full grown frogs in 
time. He proposed to place nine-inch guns on the main 
deck, and to put eleven-inch ones above them. This last 
proposition was pushing matters too far, and the bold 
innovation had to bide its time. He was told, however,, 
that if he would draft a ten-inch gun it should be carried 
as a chase gun, one at each end. Dahlgren remon- 
strated against interfering with his plan in this way, but 
it was of no use. The result was, that the Merrima.c had 
his main-deck batterj^, and the Niagara his spar-deck 
battery, and thus made his plan, as Dahlgren said, " like 
a circus rider that rides around the ring with a foot on 
each horse." 

The next year he was hard at work getting the guns 
for the six new frigates that were to be built, besides 
attending to other ordnance duty. In the midst of his 
labors he was stricken to the earth by the death of his 
wife, leaving him with five orphan children. 

In the fall, he was promoted to Commander. In the 
beginning of '56, Commodore Morris, chief of the bu- 

30 



466 EEAE- ADMIRAL JOHN A. DAHLGRElSr. 

reau of ordnance, died, and the President wislied to 
give Dahlgren the post; but, as the Law required that 
officer to be at least a captain, he proposed to defer the 
appointment till it could be changed. Dahlgren, however, 
objected to this, and it was not done. 

This year he published his second edition of Boat 
Armament, making his fourth work on ordnance; and 
ibefore it closed he gave to the world his chief work, 
"Shells and Shell Guns." This is a very full and ex- 
haustive work, and though containing many new ideas 
which at the time seemed chimerical, time and experience 
have proved their soundness and value. 

Dahlgren, seeing how impossible it was to get his 
.system fairly tried at sea by others, in 1857 applied for 
a command afioat, that he might test it himself After 
much opposition he obtained command of the Plymouth, 
a sloop-of-war, with full permission to alter and arrange 
her at his pleasure. Although his eleven-inch guns were 
too large for a frigate of 3,000 tons, he boldly mounted 
one on his sloop-of-war, and put to sea. Making a 
gunnery-ship of her as he sailed, he cruised along the 
European coast, touching at various ports and visiting 
the principal founderies, and navy yards, and ships-of-war 
of the old world. 

On his return he reported that the monster gun was 
perfectly manageable at sea. Thus by actual experiment 
he had overthroAAOi the last objection, and so finally dis- 
appeared the last vestige of opposition to his system, and 
it soon after was adopted in the arming of our national 
vessels. Long years of thought, labor, experiment, and 
of "hope deferred that maketh the heart sick" had 
been passed, but victory came at last — not partial and 
qualified, but complete and triumphant. 



EIFLED CANNON. 467 

In 1858, wlien tlie news came of fhe liberties tliat 
British cruisers were taking with our merchantmen, 
Dahlgren was sent in the Plymouth to look after the 
matter. Fortunately, no collision occurred — the trouble 
was amicably settled — and he sailed for Poi-t-au-Prince 
to settle a difficulty about the Guano Island of Nevassa. 
From thence he went to Vera Cruz to convey our Min- 
ister to Mexico, and while there took upon himself the 
responsibility of settling difficulties at Tampico, growing 
out of outrages committed on American citizens, and for 
his services received the thanks of the merchants, whose 
property he had saved. 

Returning to WashingtoD, he had the satisfaction, 
during the year, of seeing his 11-inch guns ordered to 
most of the new screw sloops-ofwar of the Brooklyn 
class that were then building. 

The next year, 1859, he proposed the building of a 
large and suitable foundery — 'the interior of which he 
designed himself, — and the work was begun. 

During the year, the Armstrong gun of England was 
much talked about, and rifled cannon, for a while, threat- 
ened to throw Dahlgren's improvements into the back- 
ground. He at once took up the subject and proposed 
two rifled cannon — one iron and the other bronze — the 
latter of which, designed for boat armament, was adoj)ted, 
and still holds its place. 

In 1860, still devoting himself to the question of 
rifled cannon, he, after careful study, adhered in the main 
to his old system. The subject, however, of monster 
rifled guns still occupied him, when his investigations 
were cut short by the breaking out of the rebellion. 
One of his last acts was to urge on the Department the 
necessity of providing some iron-clads for the navy, and 



I 



468 REAE-ADMIRAL JOIKT A. DAHLGREN-. 

referred to a proposition wliicli he had made eight years 
before. By accident this memorial found its way to 
Congress, instead of his report on rifled cannon which 
had been called for, and awakened a great deal of atten- 
tion; but nothing was or could be effected towards their 
construction till imminent danger demanded that some- 
thing should be done, and that speedily. It seems 
strange that the views of a man who, for so many years, 
had shown that he knew more than the Department and 
all the naval Bureaus put together, should have been 
thus ignored ; but it is only one of the countless blun- 
ders of the same kind which have been committed. 

At the beginning of the war, the navy yards of the 
country were generally under the command of officers 
whose homes were near them — hence most of the stations 
South were controlled by those who sympathized with 
the secessionists. This was also the case at Washino;- 
ton, which Dahlgren observed with considerable anxiety. 
Kumors were abroad that the navy yard was to be 
seized, and ill-looking fellows whom nobody knew, 
began to cluster about the corners and places of resort 
in the city. Dahlgren saw that it behooved him to look 
to his charge, and so selecting the most defensible build- 
ing, he secretly removed into it all the breech-loading 
rifles and light artillery, and barricaded all the doors 
except two, which he commanded by his howitzers. No 
one wai^ allowed to enter it but a small body of seamen 
employed in the ordnance, and who he knew would 
obey his orders whatever they might be. The powder 
he had carried into the cock-loft of the large ordnance 
shop, which was in range of his guns in the shell-house, 
and could be fired in a moment, if necessary. He 
then sent all his spare money to Philadelphia for the 



WASHINGTON NAVY YAED. 469 

use of liis family, and calmly awaited the forthcoming 
events. 

Mobs, incendiary fires, and rumors of sacking Wash- 
ington, kept the inhabitants in a state of feverish excite- 
ment during the winter. April came with its stirring 
events, and at last the storm broke, and the sound of 
cannon around Fort Sumter fell on the country like a 
thunder-clap at noon-day. The Government awoke from 
its dream of security ; — volunteers were called for — and 
the land shook to the tread of armed hosts. In the 
mean time, our troops were driven back from Baltimore, 
the capital became isolated, and a cloud, black as night, 
hung over the country. At last the arsenal of Harper's 
Ferry was seized, and now the Navy Yard at Washing- 
ton might be next attacked. 

One afternoon Dahlgren was sitting in his office, 
occupied in making dispositions of arms and ammuni- 
tion, when a confidential messenger from the Navy De- 
partment entered with a message that it distrusted the 
state of affairs in the yard, and wished him to take im- 
mediate command. He sent back word that the Depart- 
ment might fully rely on him, and at once sallied out 
to take such measures as might be necessary. While 
thus employed, a messenger approached and said that 
the commandant wished to see him. On a-oius: to his 
office, this officer said he was about to resign, and 
wished to turn over the command to him. Very few 
words passed, and Dahlgren resumed his preparations for 
defence, for the yard was so exposed on almost every side 
to attack, that four or five hundred resolute men might 
have easily seized it. There were only about ninety 
seamen and marines altogether, to defend it, with such 
little aid as might be obtained from two war steamers 



470 EEAK-ADMIEAL JOHN A. DAHLGKEN. 

in the river, whose crews did not probably exceed one 
hundred and fifty men. With the fall of the Navy 
Yard, an easy road was open to the city, and yet it 
famished no support to the former. The capital was 
never in so much danger afterwards, as at this critical 
period, when Dahlgren took command. He, however, 
determined with his handful of seamen to defend it to 
the last, and if it fell, to fall himself amid its iiiins. He 
placed howitzers at commanding points, while he brought 
up the mail steamers to assist him in keeping open the Po- 
tomac, now the only channel of communication between 
the capital and the North. He hurried forward matters 
with such energy, that by midnight of the day he took 
command, he had manned and equipped one of these 
steamers, and placing her in charge of an old boatswain, 
whose locks had grown white in the service of his coun- 
try, sent her down the Potomac to capture susj^ici- 
ous looking crafts, and to furnish pilots to any vessels 
loaded with Northern troops who might be coming up to 
the relief of the capita]. 

The rest of the week was one of constant toil and 
excitement to Dahlgren, for everything was quivering 
in the balance; but at last the troops arrived, and 
shortly after the road was open through Baltimore. 

During this brief period, Dahlgren was constantly 
on the move, eating and sleeping anywhere, except in 
his quarters, and though his Avork was unheralded by 
the smoke of battle and unaccompanied by the shouts 
of victory, it was nevertheless the most important one 
he ever performed. 

In the movement on Alexandiia on the 24th of May^ 
he cooperated with some steamers, and personally super- 
intended the operations. When at daybreak the Zouaves 



INCIDENTS. 471 

jumped ashore, and tlie possession of tlie place was as- 
sured, Dalilgren lay down on a sofa in Lis steamer to 
snatch a few moments' repose, but had hardly closed his 
eyes when the quartermaster awoke him with the start- 
ling news thai Ellsworth was hilled. Springing ashore, 
he met a detail of Zouaves bearing the body to the 
wharf. Directing them to his OAvn steamer, he returned 
to the Navy Yard. 

In the afternoon, the President drove down to the 
Yard, and after speaking with a great deal of feeling for 
Ellsworth, and showing how shocked he was at his 
sudden and violent death, he asked Dahlgren if it would 
be proper to have the funeral services at the White 
House. The latter replied it would be proper to consult 
his own feelings entirely. He did so, and had the 
services in the Presidential mansion. 

In the occupation of Alexandria, a troop of Virginia 
cavalry were taken prisoners, and lodged in the Navy 
Yard. These Dahlgren treated with the utmost kindness, 
until their release at his own earnest request in June. 

On that memorable Sunday of the battle of Bull 
Kun, the Navy Yard being almost deserted — as the 
Seventy-first Regiment quartered there had gone to 
the front — the President drove down towards evening 
for a ride, and in a conversation with Dahlgren, said the 
battle had begun ; that he had telegrams from the field, 
and all was going on well. But before he had been gone 
half an hour, Dahlgren also had a telegram from Gen. 
eral Mansfield, asking him to send a vessel with despatch 
to Alexandria, to cover the aj)proaches. The former 
knew at once that all was not going on well ; for this 
despatch showed j^lainly that the army w-as falling l)ack. 
Hurrying down the Perry, the only vessel on hand, he 



472 EEAR-ADMIKAL JOHN A. DAHLGRi^N. 

had not long to wait before tlie full extent of the 
calamity became known. 

" Black Monday," with Washington crowded with 
refugees, followed. Dahlgren was now called on to 
help man the lines in front, and he sent down three 
8-inch ship-cannon and five howitzers, under a body 
of trained seamen and some marines, which formed a 
naval battery that proved to be of great service. His 
son Ulric, only nineteen years of age, here began 
that brilliant career which had so tragic an end, being 
volunteer aid to Captain Foxhall Parker, who com- 
manded the battery. 

In August, Congress, by a special act, enabled him, 
though only a commander, to hold command of the Navy 
Yard. During the year and some months that he held 
this appointment, he was not called upon to take any 
very active part in naval operations, except as connected 
with the quiet duties of the yard. His position, how- 
ever, threw him into constant contact with the principal 
actors in the great di-ama going on, and his reminiscences 
of events and conversations would make an interestins; 
book in itself 

The transforming of merchant vessels into war shij)s 
to help keep open the Potomac, occupied much of his 
attention, and made a busy scene of the Navy Yard. 

Foote, out west, was hard at work, but in great want 
of seamen, and Dahlgren sent to him during the winter 
the naval force which had been on the lines and in Fort 
Ellsworth. The former had previously written to his 
old friend : " I expect of course to be shot by a Ken- 
tucky rifleman ; but I mean to die game, as there must 
be a providence in all these things." 

The autumn and winter passed with its usual excite- 



INTERVIEW WITH THE PRESIDENT. 473 

meuts, and witli tlie return of spring came tlie great raid 
of the Merrimac into tlie waters around Fortress Monroe. 
On tlie Sunday that the tidings were received of the 
terrible destruction she was making with our vessels of 
war, Dahlgren was sitting in the ordnance office, attend- 
ing to public business that could not be postponed, 
when the President was announced. He stepped out 
to the carriage, when Mr. Lincoln said, "Get your hat 
and ride up with me." As he took his seat by the 
President's side the latter said, " I have frightful news to 
tell you," and then in a calm though earnest manner 
related to him what the Merrimac had done and threat- 
ened to do. In half an hour they were at the White 
House, where assembled in cabinet meeting were several 
of the secretaries and General McClellan. After some 
desultory conversation, the telegrams that had been 
received were carefully read over and discussed. The 
President then turned to McClellan, Meigs and Dahl- 
gren, and said : " Now you are a committee to advise 
measures; just step into the next room and talk it over." 
But the conclusions they came to were of no conse- 
quence, as the arrival of the Monitor settled the matter. 

When in the following May the President rode 
through Fredericksburg and reviewed McDowell's army, 
Dahlgren accompanied him, and remarked as it filed 
away that it would soon be at Hanover Junction, to 
give McClellan a helping hand. So thought the Presi- 
dent. But next morning just at daylight, as they 
reached the Navy Yard, on their return, and the 
President crossed the plank from the boat, a telegram 
was handed him. Glancing at it, he said " Good-morn- 
ing " to Dahlgren, and stepping into the carriage, di'ove 
off with the Secretary of War. That telegram an- 



474 EEAE-AD]\nEAL JOHN A. DAHLGEEN. 

nounced the onslauglit of Jackson at Harper's Ferry. 
Soon after, DaLlgren received a telegram from Washing- 
ton, asking liim if lie could send some howitzers to 
Harper's Ferry to kelp defend it. He replied, " Yes, and 
heavy cannon, too,", and that evening, both, with a 
choice body of seamen, were being whirled fast as steam 
could carry them on the railroad to the threatened point. 
The only officer he could spare was a young Master, 
who, with his son Ulric, soon had them planted, and the 
9-inch shells sending consternation among the rebel 
troops, to whom such enormous missiles of death were 
the more terrific as they were new. On Thursday, late 
at night, Ulric came to the War Department with the 
news of the repulse of Jackson, and returned a captain. 

On the 18th of July, 1862, Dahlgren was commis- 
sioned Chief of Bureau of Ordnance. A year before it 
had been offered him, but he declined it, preferring the 
Navy Yard, if he could not be given more active service. 
It seems hard at first glance, that an officer who had done 
so much to make the navy efficient, and shown such great 
capacity, shoukl be kept on shore, while others scarcely 
known before were winning a world-wide reputation. 
But it should be remembered in the first place, that some- 
body of ability must hold this post, and to whom did it 
more properly belong than to him ? In the second place, 
there would be manifest injustice in taking a gallant officer 
from the field where he was winning renown, and shut- 
ting him up in a bureau, in which he would be wholly 
lost sight of. Such an officer would say, and rightly 
too, that Dahlgren, having secured a reputation second to 
no naval officer in the world in the ordnance department, 
should be satisfied with it, and leave to others, less fortu- 
nate, the field where rank and renown were to be won by 




-a(;i Ijv K.B.EaH.i 



AN INCIDENT. 475 

gallant deeds. Thougli the country has a right to the 
services of her best men in the way she chooses, yet to 
have good officers, justice must be done to all 

Dahlgren's new position necessarily brought him into 
connection with all the navy yards, founderies of cannon, 
&c., of the country, and his field became as wide as the 
theatre of military operations. 

Meanwhile, in August, he was made Captain . Soon 
after, the news of Pope's battles in front of Washington 
began to throw the city into the wildest alarm. On the 
19th of August, the President sent for Dahlgren on 
official business, and after it was finished, began to talk 
over the situation of affairs, closing with the remark "Now 
I am to have a sweat of it for five or six days." Dahl- 
gren, in the mean time, felt very anxious about his son 
Ulric, who was fighting on the lines in front, and of whom 
he could hear but little. But one day the latter burst 
unexpectedly into his office beaming with health and 
spirits. Soon after, passing out of the department, they 
suddenly came upon President Lincoln, who took Ulric 
warmly by the hand, while a pleasant smile lighted his 
countenance — now worn and anxious — and drawing him 
inside the door, said, " Come now, tell me what you have 
seen." The young soldier rapidly and clearly narrated the 
events of the past few days, while the President, leaning 
forward, lost not a word. When he was through, the 
latter shook him by the hand, and asked him to come and 
see him again. Not long after, this gallant youth gal- 
loped into Fredericksburg with fifty or sixty cavalrymen, 
and returned with half his number, prisoners. 

Among the incorporators of the National Academy 
of Science, authorized by Congress this session, Dahlgren 



476 EEAR-ADMIEAL JOHN A. DAHLGREK 

was named as one, but lie declined the honor, because his 
public duties required all his time. 

In the spring he visited the naval ports in the West, 
to see to the arming of the ironclads, and while at Cairo, 
heard of the failure of Dupont before Charleston. 

When the Government finally relieved Dupont from 
the command of the South Atlantic Squadron, and put 
Foote in his place, the latter came to his old friend Dahl- 
gren and urged him to go with him. Though Dahlgren 
wanted sea service, he preferred an independent command, 
but he finally consented to command the iron-clads of the 
fleet. The sudden illness and death of Foote broke up 
this plan, and Dahlgren was ordered to take his place. 

This was the 2 2d of Jan., 1863, and two days after 
he started for New York to set sail for Charleston. The 
next week, having purchased a small screw steamer from 
a packet line, he hurried away with but one stafi" officer, 
and not a smgle domestic, or scarcely the equipment and 
outfit of a midshipman. 

Reaching Port Royal and assuming command of the 
fleet, he was told by General Gillmore that he wanted him 
to cooperate immediately in a movement designed to eff"ect 
a lodgment on Morris Island. Dahlgren had not yet 
seen the vessels that would be required- in the attack — 
three monitors, he knew, were in the hands of mechanics 
undergoing repairs — he had not yet formed a staff, he 
knew nothing of the locality by actual inspection, and was 
without instructions, yet he was determined that no delay 
should be charged on him, and he told Gillmore to name 
the day. The latter said Wednesday, and Dahlgren at 
once put forth every energy to be ready for battle. The 
next day Gillmore asked to have the attack deferred for 
one day. Wednesday night Dahlgren was off* Charles- 



FORT WAGNER. 47 (i 

ton Bar, and the following morning received word t'rcni 
Gillmore that he had postponed the attack for another 
day, as he was not ready. At length, on Friday morning, 
the movement began ; our troops were landed, and the 
enemy breaking fled up to Fort Wagner. Dahlgren, see- 
ing this, steamed after, rolling his ponderous shells along 
the beach behind the fugitives, and in a short time laid 
his own monitor abreast of Fort Wagner, followed by the 
others in line of battle, and opened a terrific fire, which 
he kept up till noon. Had Gillmore followed up his first 
success, he doubtless could have entered the fort in 
triumph. All the southern defences had fallen, and a 
vigorous assault on the astonished enemy gave every 
promise of success. At all events, it should have been 
made then or not at all. 

Dahlgren renewed the attack after giving his men a 
little refreshment, and kept it up till six o'clock, when 
he withdrew, for he saw that Gillmore intended to make 
no further effort that day. The severity of the rebel fire 
may be judged from the fact, that Dahlgren's vessel was 
struck sixty-seven times. Although disappointed in Gill- 
more's neglect to seize the auspicious moment and dash 
over the rebel works, he was delighted with the powers of 
endurance shown by the monitors. Gillmore, in his of- 
ficial report, said that the work of occupying the island 
could have been done without the navy — then why blame 
Dupont as he did for not cooperating with him ? Either 
this was not true, or he was guilty of unnecessary delay 
in putting off the attack till the arrival of Dahlgren, and 
then making him wait day after day. But he knew that 
but for the presence of the monitors, the rebel iron-clads 
would have come down from Charleston and scattered his 
forces to the winds. However, the next morning Gill- 



4'r8 EEAR-ADinRAL JOHN A. DAHLGRElSr. 

more thought he would try and see what he could do in- 
dependent of the riavy, and ordered an assault without 
even notifying Dahlgren, and was sadly defeated. 

At length, on the 18th of July, came that last fatal 
assault. Gillmore had signalled in the morning that he 
would be ready at noon, and at half past eleven Dahl- 
gren got under way in the Montauk, followed by the 
Patapsco, Katskill, Weehawken, and the Ironsides. At 
half past twelve he opened with the first gun, and in a 
few minutes the action became general, and it flamed and 
thundered from land and water all that hot summer 
afternoon, while the army inland stood and listened to 
the uproar. At first the tide was low, so that Dahlgren 
could not get nearer than twelve hundred yards ; but at 
four o'clock it had flowed so as to give deeper water, and, 
ordering his anchor up, he steamed to within three hun- 
dred yards, closing steadily and sternly with the fort. 
So rapid and well directed was the fire, that the rebel 
guns were silenced, and Dahlgren, mounting to the top 
of the turret to survey the hostile batteries, could not see 
a head exposed. Night came on, and through the dark- 
ness our brave columns surged up to the blazing works, 
only to melt away and disappear in the gloom. 

The next morning Dahlgren sent ashore a flag of 
truce with a surgeon, to ask for our wounded, and if the 
request was refused to offer medical aid. Both proposals 
were rejected. Two days after, he heard that his son 
XJlric had been dangerously wounded at Gettysburg. 

Gillmore now began his regular but slow approaches 
towards "Wagner, which gave the enemy time to strength- 
en Sumter. 

Gillmore, at times, seemed quite independent of the 
navy, yet on the lltli of August he signalled Dahlgren 



HIS GENEROSITY. 479 

that Wagner had opened on him with grape and canister, 
and evidently intended an assault ; and asked him to be 
ready with his gunboats. In a half hour came another 
telegram, " Open as soon as possible, the enemy's fire is 
heavy." Dahlgren did so, sweeping with his terrible fire 
the whole ground between our lines and the fort. 

At half past three in the morning he went up the 
harbor in his barge, to examine matters personally, as it 
was his custom to do, and on returning came very near 
being sunk by the heavy guns of Wagner. 

Dahlgren, generous and noble, like most of our naval 
officers, who are ever willing to give the cooperating land 
■forces all the honor they deserve, endeavored to remove 
the ill feeling which had been produced at Washington 
against Gillmore, for his ill-judged, badly managed assault 
on Wagner ; and requested his flag lieutenant Preston, 
who was obliged to return North for his health, to see the 
President, and by explanations remove the bad impres- 
sions which he had received. He did so, and the result 
was, Mr. Lincoln ordered five thousand men to reinforce 
Gillmore, although Halleck was opposed to it. 

In striking contrast with this noble conduct, Gillmore 
soon began to shift the responsibility of the delays in 
taking Charleston on Dahlgren and the navy. 

In the bombardment of the 18 th of August, the latter, 
after silencing Fort Wagner, shifted his flag from the 
Weehawken to the Passaic, and with the Patapsco 
steamed up to Sumter and opened fire. Although the 
latter, with Gregg and Moultrie, concentrated a terrible 
fire on these two vessels, he had by noon silenced it. As 
he withdrew, he learned with grief that Captain Podgers, 
his fleet captain, had been killed. 

The shore batteries having at length made sad breaches 



480 EEAR-ADinEAL JOHN A. DAHLGREN. 

in Sumter, Dahlgren, on the 22d and 23d, again moved 
against it, but it was found to be impregnable as ever, 
in fact the lower casemates, mounted with heavy guns, 
were in excellent condition. 

On the night of the 26th Dahlgren determined to feel 
the defences at the entrance of the harbor, on his o^Yn 
responsibility, but a heavy squall of wind and rain, suc- 
ceeded by a heavy fog and blinding storm, kept him 
groping helplessly about all night, and nothing was ac- 
complished. 

An after effort was equally unsuccessful, but in the 
engagement that followed, he had another fleet captain 
shot. 

The siege of Wagner and bombardment of Sumter 
went on, and Gillmore, impatient of success and annoyed 
that he could make no more headway, began to insist 
that no guns were mounted on Sumter, and therefore the 
fleet could go past it. This was mere conjecture on his 
part, for he had never been anything like as near to it as 
Dahlgren. He also insinuated that a programme had 
been agreed on between him and the naval commander, 
and that he had performed his part, and now it remained 
for the latter to do his, when in fact there had been no 
such programme at all. Dahlgren's orders were explicit 
— to cooperate with and assist Gillmore, which he did. 

The whole question is, however, too absurd to be 
treated seriously. For six weeks the fleet and army had 
tried in vain to take Wagner alone, and yet the former 
unaided, according to Gillmore, was quite able to go 
inside, carry all the batteries that lined the shore clear 
up to the city — each more powerful than Wagner and 
commanding each other — or else pass them. But if he 
could have done the latter, the ironclads would have been 



ATTACK ON SUMTER. 481 

cut off from coal and ammunition, and all succor from 
the troops. It was a new military maxim he was intro- 
ducing, " divide and conquer." 

At length on the 6th of September, the rebels evac- 
uated Fort Wagner, and Morris Island fell into our pos- 
session. All hoped that Sumter would now be abandon- 
ed, but the bombardment of it by Gillmore's heavy guns, 
two and two and a half miles distant, instead of makinor 
clean breaches through the walls, as it would have done at 
short ranges, and with a concentrated fire, had only pound- 
ed it into sand, that falling to the base simply converted a 
stone fort into a sand work like Wagner. Wlien Dahl- 
gren ascertained this fact, he determined to try and 
carry it by storm. By accident he learned that Gillmore 
intended to assault it also, on the same night. It was then 
determined that the attack should be a combined one. 

On the night agreed upon, Dahlgren advanced his 
column in boats, and waited to hear from Gillmore, to 
whom he had sent his fleet captain, Preston, to see that 
everything was well understood. The latter returning 
and reporting all was right, Dahlgren gave the order to 
advance. Preston asked to lead his division, to which the 
former reluctantly consented, as it left him without a staif 
officer, except one who was very young. Before starting, 
however, he said, "Are you sure that all is riglit^ and no 
mistahe with the General f'' He replied, " Yes." Then said 
Dahlgren, "Go." He never saw him again. In the mean 
time he steamed up nearer, and then got into his boat and 
pulled for the fort. It was half an hour or more after 
midnight, and, just as the oarsmen were dipping their 
blades, a heavy volley of musketry broke from Sumter ; 
then a rocket shot into the air, followed by a red light 
that blazed up in the darkness. The next moment the: 

31 



482 EEAE- ADMIRAL JOHN A. DAHLGREN. 

batteries on Sullivan and James Islands opened. Dahl- 
gren kept on, but all was still in Sumter ; tlie conflict was 
over. The rowers paused, while the shells from the 
neighboring batteries and rebel ironclads blazed and 
screamed, and burst over and around his boat, lighting 
up the waters of the harbor like day. 

The assault had failed, and Dahlgren now attempted 
to regain his steamer, but it had moved off, and he 
spent the whole night in searching for it. 

Gillmore's column never came up at all, owing, as 
he said afterwards, to the state of the tide, it being too 
low for his boats. A sad comment this on his own 
sagacity. Had he never thought of the tide, when a 
few hours before he told the gallant Preston, that his 
column would be up in time ? 

Dahlgren had before become sadly weakened in his 
naval force, by damage to his vessels, &c., so that he 
had but four monitors left, with the Ironsides, fit for 
duty, and now, by those lost in the assault, he was 
weakened in men. Of this small fleet, one, the Montauk, 
was sadly in need of repairs, and another had her smoke- 
pipe nearly carried away. 

The failure of this assault awakened a great deal of 
senseless clamor against Dahlgren, brought about in a 
great measure by the statements of newspaper corre- 
spondents, who hovered ' around Gillmore's headquar- 
ters to manufacture public opinion. The former was 
blamed for attempting the only thing that remained to 
be done ; for, to endeavar with his few vessels to force the 
entrance of the harbor, would have been simply suicide. 

On the 5th of October, a torpedo exploded under 
the Ironsides, which came very near being a very serious 
accident. 



A COUNCIL OF WAE. 483 

The public being greatly dissatisfied that Charleston 
was not taken, and the Navy Department coming in for 
its share of abuse — the more severe, because of its treat- 
ment of Dupout — it ordered a council of war to be 
called in the fleet, to decide upon the propriety of an 
attempt to force an entrance into the harbor. In this 
Dahlgren took no part, except to submit all the papers, 
&c., necessary to come to a just conclusion. Its decision 
was "that there would be extreme risk without ade- 
quate results, by entering the harbor of Charleston 
with seven monitors, the object being to penetrate 
to Charleston." 

After this decision by the gallant commanders of 
those vessels, who had been so long on the spot, it is 
a waste of words to discuss the propriety of Gillmore's 
assertion, that they could and ought to do it. An ad- 
miral who should take the opinion of a military officer, 
whose operations are all on land, against the decision of 
a board of naval commanders, would deserve to be dis- 
missed the service. If any other proof were wanted of 
the wisdom of Dahlgren's course, we might cite a letter 
of General Shennan to him, when operating from Savan- 
nah, in which he declares, " it would be unwise to sub- 
ject his ships to the heavy artillery of the enemy, and 
his sunken torpedoes." The truth is, the passage of the 
forts below New Orleans and off Mobile, had greatly 
misled the public, in its judgment of the whole matter. 
In both the other cases, when the point of danger was 
passed, there was a clear river or open water beyond, 
where the vessels were safe from attack ; but in Charles- 
ton harbor, they could only silence batteries — not get 
away from them — a useless business, unless there was 
a land force to occupy them. Sherman, who knew 



484 KEAR-ADMIEAL JOHN A. DAHLGEEK 

Charleston harbor well, cori'oborates tliis view. He 
says, that if Dahlgren " had gone into the inner harbor, 
and up Cooper Kiver, the enemy could easily have held 
all his works on James and Sullivan's Islands without 
trouble, &c." "We think that General Sherman and the 
decision of the council of war, versus the opinion of 
General Gillmore, will be all that any man of common 
sense will need to come to a just decision on Dahlgren's 
course. The assertion of Gillmore was an after-thought 
to shield himself from the blame that always attaches 
to a commander who fails to meet the j)ublic expecta- 
tion. 

In November, while in obedience to Gillmore's request 
to keep the rebels from an attack by boats on the face of 
Cummings Point, the Lehigh got aground in the dark- 
ness, when all the batteries on Sullivan's Island opened 
on her. Dahlgren at once signalled the other ironclads 
to engage the batteries, while he went up in the Passaic 
to investigate matters. Finding the Nahant nearer the 
grounded vessel than he could get in his own, he took his 
barge and rowed to her. Dr. Longshaw and two seamen 
then took a line in an open boat, and passed through the 
fire to the Lehigh. Three hawsers, which were carried 
aboard her, were cut in succession; one by shot and the 
other two by the sharp edges of the deck. The shells 
fell in a perfect shower around the two vessels, but a 
hawser was at length secured, and the Nahant steamed 
ahead, but the Lehigh would not stir. Dahlgren then 
ordered the Montauk to make fast to the Nahant, and 
both pull together. They started, and he watched the 
struggle with intense interest, for if this effort did not 
succeed, the poor monitor would have to lie there for 
twelve hours, the target of the enemy, before another 



THE MONITORS IN WINTEE. 485 

could be made. But the hawser held fast, and under the 
tremendous stram the Lehigh moved off amid the cheers 
of the crews, and once more floated in deep water. 

The latter part of this month Dahlgren was cheered 
as well as saddened, by a visit from his gallant son Ulric, 
who had recovered from his long illness, resulting from 
his wound at Gettysburg, but at the sacrifice of his leg. 
In the mean time he kept pounding away at Sumter, 
though effecting nothing. On the 6th of December, a 
gale arose, and he saw with grief the Weeha^^vken go 
down, almost alongside, with between twenty and thirty 
of her crew. Winter was now on them with its jrales, 
and the monitors were almost constantly under Avater, 
the sea breaking clean over their decks, leaving only the 
tops of the turrets dry. The men, when wishing a little 
fresh air, clustered around the stacks to keep warm, 
making the duty of keeping watch and ward here a most 
cheerless and trying one. At night this was still Avorse, 
for torpedo boats had to be guarded against, and blockade 
runners prevented from entering. Drenched, and chilled, 
and wearied, they thus passed the long weeks, while men 
before their cheerful fires at home criticized the naval 
commander, and wondered that more was not done. 

In February, another vessel, the Housatonic, was sunk 
by a torpedo. 

Dahlgren had other duties besides those in Charleston 
harbor. Three hundred miles of coast, including seven- 
teen ports, were under his charge, and had to be kept 
blockaded by a fleet seldom numbering less than seventy 
vessels. The varied and multiplied duties required of 
him, to direct and manage all this, were of the most ex- 
hausting kind. During this trying period he lost four 
chiefs of staffs, .thus necessarily increasing his burdens. 



486 EEAE-ADMIEAL JOHN A. DAHLGEEN. 

In the latter part of February, he visited Washington 
at the request of the Secretary of the Navy. He reached 
the capital the 2d of March, the very night that his 
son Ulric was killed below Richmond. When the sad 
news was received. President Lincoln sent for him, 
and expressed the deepest sympathy with his great loss. 
Dahlgren saying that he wished to go to Fort Monroe 
to learn more of his boy and recover his body, "Go,'' 
replied the President, " ask no one, I will stand by you." 
He went, but failed in his mission, and in the middle of 
April prepared to return to the squadron. Before leav- 
ing, he complained to the President of the abuse heaped 
upon him, to which Mr. Lincoln replied, " Well, you 
never heard me complain, did you?" The latter spoke 
with tears in his eyes of the fate of Ulric. As he 
pressed his hand for the last time, he little dreamed that 
the fatal bullet would soon bring him to a similar end. 
Dahlgren never saw him again, but he will remember 
those last kind words forever. 

Arriving at Port Royal on the 2d of IMay, he found 
Gillmore had left with the tenth corps to join Butler. A 
week later he was in Charleston harbor, when he again 
convened a council of war to determine what course to 
pursue, in which it was decided that no serious attack on 
Sumter should be made. Dahlgren therefore went down 
the coast to look after the blockade. During the sum- 
mer he forwarded to the committee on the conduct of the 
war his answer to their queries respecting operations 
around Charleston. We refer the reader who wishes to 
see a complete vmdication of Dahlgren, to this document. 
Foster having succeeded Gillmore, the latter planned an 
expedition to Stone River, in which Dahlgren assisted 
with his monitors. Although it failed of success, the 



HIS SON VINDICATED. 487 

latter performed his part thoroughly, and to the satisfac- 
tion of the commander. 

In August he had the gratification of receiving the 
fifty prisoners that had been kept under fire in Charles- 
ton, who cheered him as they came alongside. In the 
mean time he received a photographic copy of the paper 
said to be found on his son when killed, in which the 
burning of Richmond was ordered. He never believed 
for a moment the foul calumny on his noble-spirited boy ; 
but it was a satisfaction to find that the paper itself, with- 
out further evidence, proved it to be a forgery, for the 
signature was written Dalhgren^ instead of Dahlgren — 
a mistake impossible for Ulric to have made. Dahlgren 
made it the occasion of "writing a reply to the slander of 
the rebels, which he published in the Herald of Aug. 8th. 
But while the summer passed thus without interest 
around Charleston, Dahlgren s squadron was busy along 
the Southern coast. Toward the latter part of Novem- 
ber, it being known that Sherman had cut loose from At- 
lanta, Foster determined to make a diversion in his favor. 
To assist him Dahlgren organized a fleet brigade. Al- 
though it numbered but five hundred men, it was com- 
plete ; for Dahlgren drilled it himself. On the 29th of 
November the expedition started, Dahlgren taking a 
squadron of light draft steamers, and his fleet brigade. 
It moved up Broad River, and then struck inland for 
the Savannah and Charleston Railroad. The enemy were 
met and a severe conflict followed, in which Dahlgren's 
fleet brigade, with their destructive howitzers, did good 
service, and won the highest commendation. 

On the 12th of December a messenger reached Dahl- 
gren fi?om Sherman, who was near Savannah. Two days 
after, Sherman himself met him in the Warsaw Sound, 



488 REAE- ADMIRAL JOHIT A. DAHLGREN. 

having come down to communicate with him the moment 
Fort McAllister fell. They returned together to Os- 
sabaw Sound, and talked over the situation thoroughly. 
Sherman then went back to the lines ; but soon after, again 
came down to see Dahlgren, when they arranged for a 
united attack on the works around Savannah. 

They went together to Port Royal to complete the ar- 
rangements, and the next day returned in the Harvest 
Moon ; but findmg a gale outside, Dahlgren put into Ty- 
bee, and tried the inside passage. Getting aground, he 
took Sherman in his barge and pulled for Ossabaw Sound. 
Just before reaching it, a little tug was seen puffing 
away under a full head of steam. As she came along- 
side the captain held up a slip of paper on which was 
written : " Savannah has surrendered." Two days later^ 
Dahlgren had the pleasure of lunching with Sherman 
in the captured city. But, soon after, hearing that the 
iron-clads of Charleston were coming out in a last death- 
struggle with his vessels, he hastened back ; but found it 
was only a sensation rumor. 

In the beginning of the new year he went to Savan- 
nah, to superintend the embarkation of the right wing of 
the army under Howard, destined for Beaufort. It took 
place on the narrow winding creek of St. Augustine ; the 
banks of which, crowded with 20,000 or 30,000 men, 
presented a stirring spectacle. Dahlgren, struck with 
the dead silence that reigned through the waiting ranks, 
said to Sherman : " They seem to have no tongues." 
"Ah," replied the latter, with a grim smile, '•Hhey can 
make noise enough when they choose.'''' 

Dahlgren now bent all his efforts to assist Sherman in 
carrying out his plans, and, before the army was ready to 



A TOEPEDO. 489 

move, he went to Charleston, to commence clearing out 
the obstructions in the harbor. 

The day before the hazardous work was to begin, 
Dahlgren had been constantly on the move, attending to 
every thing ; and, wearied -svith his labors, about bed-time 
dropped to sleep on the sofa. He had been asleep only 
a short time, when he was suddenly aroused by the com- 
mander of the Patapsco, who stood before him, and 
startled him with the brief announcement that his vessel 
had just gone to the bottom, sunk by a torpedo. In one 
minute from the time it exploded, the vessel was under 
the waves. One man below was saved ; he saw much 
in the fleeting moments allowed him to dart along the 
lower deck. He happened to have his eyes directed to 
the ward-room, where many officers were gathered around 
the table — one being seated upon it. In a twinkling the 
deck was blown open, and the table and all around it 
dashed violently upward against the deck above, that 
formed the ceiling of the apartment. The lights went 
out, and he heard the men struggling desperately, but in 
vain, to get up the hatch. He made for it himself, and, 
finding it free, dashed up it. The sea was pouring over 
it, and some one, pressing close behind him, was borne 
back by the torrents of water that rushed down, and 
never rose again. He himself struggled on deck, reach- 
ing it just as it sunk beneath the surface ; and, floating 
off, was picked up by the boats. 

Such was the brief, sad story told to Dahlgren, who, 
aroused from his sleep by the startling intelligence, 
jumped into his barge and pulled to the spot. It was mid- 
night ; not a sound broke the Sabbath stillness of the scene ; 
all was silent as death. The story was told — the brave 
crew were sleeping their last sleep beneath the waves. 



490 REAR-ADMIEAL JOHN A. DAHLGREN. 

Soon after, he received a letter from Sherman, an- 
nouncing the commencement of his grand march, and the 
direction he was taking. Dahlgren at once placed suit- 
able forces in the Edisto and Stono, to cooperate with 
him, and was everywhere superintending the movements 
required to meet the exigencies arising in various quarters. 

The Daiching in the mean time o-rounded in the Com- 
bahee, right under the guns of a rebel battery. Chaplin, 
the commander, fought her bravely to the last, and, when 
he found her a wreck, set her on fire, and escaped with 
his crew. On the 1st of February, Dahlgren jots down : 
" Nothing from Sherman ; he is marching on, I laiow." 
At the same time he received a letter from his son 
Charles, who landed with a detachment from his vessel 
to assist in the assault on Fort Fisher. The latter wrote: 
" I fired my rifle thirty-four times from a rest, and you 
know I never miss." This brave son participated in the 
siege of Vicksburg. 

Dahlg-ren's vessels were scattered all alono- the coast 
at this time, requiring him to move almost continually 
from one point to another — one day being in the North 
Edisto, another in the Stono, and a third in Bull's Bay ; 
one day superintending the fire of those vessels engaged 
with the enemy, and another seeing to the landing of 
troops. 

Gillmore now came down to supersede Foster, and 
Dahlgren, much to his regret, found hhnself once more 
in communication with an officer in whose integrity and 
truthfulness he had no confidence. However, it was the 
public interest first, and private griefs afterwards ; and 
he immediately consulted with him on the movements re- 
quired to assist Sherman, and a demonstration at Bull's 
Bay was determined on. Wliile engaged in covering the 



CHARLESTON EVACUATED. 491 

landing of the troops, he received a despatch from Sher- 
man, in cypher, dated at Midway, on the railroad. On 
the 17th, he sent some vessels into the Stono to aid 
Schimmelfennig, and, at the same time, ordered the naval 
battery on Morris Island to open fire, and all night the 
booming of his heavy guns broke over the water 

The end was now approaching ; Charleston was evacu- 
ated, and Dahlgren steamed up the harbor with all his 
captains aboard, and landed in the city. The streets were 
silent, the houses shut ; but a fire, kindled by the rebels^ 
was still raging. This he soon extinguished, and saved 
the city from further ruin. Next day he learned that 
Lieutenant Bradford, who had been mortally wounded in 
the unsuccessful night assault on Sumter and died in a 
Charleston hospital, had been dug up, after being buried 
by a friend in the Magnolia Cemetery, and thrust igno- 
miniously into the Potter's-field. He had him disinterred 
at once, and buried with the honors due an American 
soldier. 

Not knowing but that Sherman would wish to open 
communication with the seaboard farther up the coast, 
he at once sent some vessels and marines to seize George- 
town and hold it 

In the mean time he examined the defences of 
Charleston, and fomid ocular proof of what he knew be- 
fore — that an attempt to force his way up to it with his 
vessels would have been simply foolhardiness and ended 
in defeat and disgrace. He then went to Georgetown, 
and established everything on a firm footing there. 

On the 1st of March, as he was steaming out of the 
harbor, on his return to Charleston, and pacing the 
cabin while brealdast was preparing, he was startled by 
a loud noise and shock, that made everything rattle, and 



492 EEAE-ADMIKAL JOHN A. DAHLGREN. 

blew in the partition. He hurried out, and, observing the 
men rushing for the boats, was about to ascend himself to 
the upper deck, when he saw a great gap beside him, and 
felt the vessel sinking. A torpedo had exploded under 
the boat, and she was fast settling in the water. A tug 
near by, witnessing the disaster, steamed alongside, and 
took off the crew. In a few minutes the Harvest Moon 
set forever. 

Hoisting his flag on another vessel, he proceeded to 
Charleston to witness the dispersion of his command — 
for his long and weary work in Charleston Harbor was 
drawing to a close. 

A correspondence now followed between him and 
General Gillmore respecting the official report of the lat- 
ter, in which he reflected unjustly on Dahlgren and the 
navy in the operations before Charleston, and also on 
the statement of his correspondents to the same effect. 
We cannot give it here, and will only say that it was 
characterized on the one hand by that straightforward, 
frank manner, so universal with naval officers, and on 
the other with a disingenuousness always attached to one 
who, having done wrong, will neither retract nor fairly 
meet it. 

The balance of the time previous to Lee's and John- 
ston's surrender, Dahlgren was employed in removing 
obstructions in Charleston Harbor and in buoying out 
the channel and in sending forces up the various rivers to 
protect the inhabitants and preserve order. 

On the 17th of June, having sent home most of his 
vessels, he set sail for Washington, and on the 12 th of 
next month struck his flag as admiral of the South Atlan- 
tic Blockading Squadron. The Navy Department, in 
relieving him, complimented him for " the ability and 



493 

energy " he had shown in his arduous command for two 
years, and expressed its high " appreciation of his services 
and those associated with him in the efficient blockade of 
the coast and haibors at a central and important position 
of the Union, and in the work of repossessing the forts 
and restoring the authority and supremacy of the Govern- 
ment in the Southern States." Sherman also said, before 
the Committee on the Conduct of the War : "On the 
morning of the 3d of May, we ran into Charleston Har- 
bor, where I had the pleasure of meeting Admiral 
Dahlgren, who had, in all my previous operations, from 
Savannah northward, aided me with a constancy and 
manliness that commanded my entire respect and deep 
affection." In ^vhat striking contrast does this grand and 
noble testimony stand with the unjust statements and 
Jesuitical language of Gillmore, whom he had aided in 
the same manly, unselfish spirit, from beginning to end. 

As soon as Dahlgren was free from official duty, he 
devoted himself to caring for the remains of his gallant 
son, which had been identified and brought on. Owing 
to the heat of the weather the funeral ceremonies were 
deferred till October. 

From the council chamber where he lay, covered with 
the flag to uphold the honor of which he had given his 
young life, it was but a short distance to the church. ' ' Every 
spot was alive with the memories of former days," for it 
had been pressed over and over again by his young feet. 
His lifeless body was borne close by the door where he 
had passed most of his brief life. From the wmdows, 
now crowded with sympathizing spectators, had been wit- 
nessed day by day his boyish outgoings and incommgs. 
The church which was to witness the parting services had 
held him each Sabbath as it came. The President and 



494 EEAR-ADJnRAL JOHN A. DAHLGEEIf. 

Cabinet, and high officers were present. From Wash- 
ington he was carried to Philadelphia, and laid in the 
Hall of Independence. There the pastor who had bap- 
tized him delivered a discourse, when mth notes of 
solemn music, and surrounded by glittering bayonets, he 
was carried to the grave, and gently, tenderly laid close 
beside his mother. Peace to his ashes ! Unselfish, noble, 
good, and gallant, he was beloved by all, and almost 
adored by his father. 

In February, Dahlgren was made a member of a joint 
board to consider the defences of our harbors. Gillmore 
was a member of the same board, but Dahlgren refusing 
to serve with him, he was detached ; once with him was 
enough for Dahlgren. In May, he was named as Presi- 
dent of the Board of Visitors to the Naval School at An- 
napolis. He is now in command of the South Pacific 
squadron. 

Dahlgren, by his inventive genius in the construction 
of ordnance, and his bold and original plan of arming 
vessels of war, has done more for the Navy of our coun- 
try, than probably any single man in it. At the same 
time he has given it Ccldt abroad, for every European 
writer on ordnance and ship armament, has to recognize 
his genius and improvements. 

It is curious to see the strange contradiction which 
is sometimes presented in the same man, between his 
mental and moral character. Dahlgren, -whose whole 
life seems to have been spent in inventing and forging 
the most terrible instruments of death, increasing the 
destructive power of cannon fourfold, is yet possessed of 
the gentlest, tenderest feelings of our nature. To go over 
his works, and see how coolly and scientifically he guages 
destructive force, one might imagine him to be a man of 



HIS MENTAL CHAEACTEEISTICS. 495 

blood, one who loved carnage ; whereas a kinder, gentler, 
nobler heart never beat in a human bosom. His inven- 
tions and improvements are the result of careful study 
of his profession, of scientific skill combined with original 
genius. In any other profession in which his great 
mathematical ability and originality could have had free 
scope, he would have made similar discoveries, and work- 
ed out and introduced equally astonishing improvements. 
One of the most remarkable characteristics of his 
mind is its completeness. It does not advance one step, 
and then wait to see that tested before proceeding to 
another. His plans, when completed m his own brain, are 
also complete for actual adoption in all their details. The 
inventions of most men reveal, on actual trial, some defect 
not provided for — show some point overlooked. But 
everything proceeding from Dahlgren's mind comes, like 
Minerva from the head of Jupiter, completely panoplied. 
Indeed, so perfect has every improvement he has made 
been, that he himself can hardly see where an alteration 
could be made. Nothing could show more forcibly with 
what mathematical accuracy and certainty his mind 
works, and how perfect is the intellectual machinery 
which has produced such wonderful results. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

REAR-AUMIKAL HIRAM PAULDING. 

A NAVT-TAED IN TIME OF WAE. — PAULDINg's BIETH AND PAEENTAGE. — EN- 
TEES THE NAVY. — SWOED VOTED HIM BY CONGRESS FOE HIS GALLANTEY 
IN THE BATTLE OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN. — OEUISE AFTER MUTINEEES IN THE 

ISLANDS OF THE PACIFIC. PUBLISHES A JOUENAL OF IT. PEOMOTION, — 

BEEAKS TJP -walker's FILIBUSTERING EXPEDITION TO NICARAGUA. HIS 

ACTION NOT "WHOLLY APPROVED BY GOVERNMENT. — THE PRESIDENT OF 
NICARAGUA PRESENTS HIM WITH A SWORD. — NOT ALLOWED TO ACCEPT 
A TEAOT OF LAND. — AT THE BKEAKING OUT OF THE REBELLION SENT TO 

DESTROY THE NAVY- YARD AT NORFOLK. — DESCRIPTION OF THE SCENE. 

APPOINTED COMMANDANT OF THE NAVY-YARD AT NEW YORK. CON- 

TEA0T8 FOE THE FIRST ARMORED VESSELS. 

The commander of the chief navy-yard of a country, 
in time of war, holds a post of great responsibility, 
and is compelled to do much hard work. Hence one of 
the ablest officers of the navy is usually selected to fill 
it His work, however, is of a kind that neither interests 
nor attracts the public. He is aware of this, and therefore 
much prefers to be afloat and in active service. The 
daily routine of a navy-yard, and the superintending the 
repairs or building of ships, furnish tame employment 
compared with the bold cruise in search of an enemy, or 
the stern conflict, in which fame and glory may be won. 
But he has no choice in the matter ; he must stay where 
the Government places him, and pertbrm those duties 
which bring no reno-svn, but yet are as essential in time 



CRUISE AFTEE MUTLNEEES. 49*7 

of war to the welfare of the nation as those which com- 
mand the public eye. 

Admiral Paulding, though ranking as one of our 
ablest officers, was doomed during the war to this mo- 
notonous life, as Commander of the Brooklyn Navy- 
Yard. 

He was born in Westchester County, about the year 
1800, and entered the navy in September, 1811. His 
father was John Paulding, one of the captors of Major 
Andre. A young midshipman, in the second war with 
England, he early saw some hard fighting with Mc- 
Donough, in the battle on Lake Champlain, and so dis- 
tinguished himself by his bravery, that Congress voted 
him a sword. 

After the war he made several cruises, possessing no 
especial interest, until 1825. In 1824, the crew of the 
whale ship Globe, of Nantucket, mutinied while in the 
Pacific Ocean, and, murdering the officers, took the ship, 
to Mulgrave Island, where they proposed to bum her and 
form a settlement Here they landed a great part of the 
stores and rigging ; but, before she was entirely dismantled,, 
some of the crew — who took no part in the mutiny — cut 
the cable one night, just at dark, while the rest were 
on shore, and, under a fine breeze, stood out to sea. The 
mutineers, seeing her moving off, pursued in boats ; but 
soon gave up the chase. All the nautical instruments- 
had been taken out of her, so that those on board had- 
nothing but the stars and prevailing winds to guide them 
in navigating the broad Pacific. They, however, at 
length reached Valparaiso in safety, and reported to the 
United States Consul there what had been done. There 
being no Government ship on hand that could be spared 
to go after the mutineers, the matter was reported to 

32 



498 EEAE-ADMIEAL PIEAM PAULDING. 

Government, which directed Commodore Hull, then in 
the Pacific, to send the schooner Dolphin in search of 
them, and bring them home as prisoners. Lieutenant 
Percival was put in command of her, and Paulding made 
his chief officer. It was a long cruise, for the islands of 
the Pacific were not so well known at that time as now. 
The Marquesas and neighboring islands were then almost 
terra incognita^ and, as the vessel passed from one to 
another, a new world seemed opening to Paulding. One 
day embraced by the dusky wife of a chieftain, in return 
for some beads that he had given her; another, carried by 
an island king on his back to his boat, his cruise was 
made up of novel and ever-varying incidents. 

At length one mutineer was discovered on the shore 
of an island, who warned Paulding ofil The latter asked 
him his name. He replied, "William Lay." Paulding 
then told him to come to the boat ; but he refused, say- 
ing that the natives would not let him. " Run, then ; " 
said the former. The poor fellow still declined, saying 
that the natives would kill him with stones the moment 
he moved. Paulding then disembarked, and, with loaded 
pistols, marched up to the place where Lay was standing, 
and, seizing him with the left hand, with the other pre- 
sented a cocked pistol to his breast, and sternly demanded, 
" Who are you ? " He replied, " I am your man," and 
burst into tears. The natives, thinking violence was in- 
tended, rose angrily, when Paulding levelled his pistol at 
them, and marched his prisoner off to the boat. 

A few miles to windward of this island he found 
another mutineer, by the name of Huzzy, who was stark 
naked, like the natives. The latter somehow had got 
"svind of Paulding's search, and hence knew what he was 
after, and planned that very night to board the vessel and 



CAPTUEES WALKER. 499 

murder the crew. Huzzy, however, dissuaded them from 
it. Paulding boldly landed, and, marching up to the 
chief, levelled a pistol at his breast and demanded that 
Huzzy should be delivered up. He yielded, and Pauld- 
ing took his prisoner on board, when the latter informed 
him that all the other mutineers were dead. Pauldinon 
afterwards published a book, entitled " Journal of a Cruise 
among the Islands of the Pacific," in which he gave a 
minute account of this cruise, describing the various 
islands that he visited, and the customs of the inhabit- 
ants, &c., which were then new to the public. 

In 1844, he was promoted to Captain. Many years 
after, in 1857, Paulding figured in the famous filibuster- 
ing expedition of Walker. The main body, commanded 
by Walker in person, landed at Punta Arenas, in the 
harbor of Greytown. Commodore Paulding, command- 
ing the Home Squadron, arrived in the Wabash the next 
month, when Walker, with one hundred and thirty-two 
men, surrendered to him. 

Paulding acted in the matter without specific instruc- 
tions, and his conduct was not fully approved by the 
government, especially in arresting Walker on foreign 
soil. 

Subsequently, the President of Nicaragua presented 
him with a sword, and offered him a large tract of land 
as a reward for his services, but the government would 
not allow him to accept the latter gift. 

At the breaking out of the rebellion. Commodore 
Paulding was ordered to supersede Captain McCauley, 
in the command of the Navy Yard at Norfolk, then 
threatened by the rebels, but, as it turned out, not to save 
it but to superintend its destruction. This Navy Yard was 
one of the most extensive in the United States, bein.i' 



500 EEAE-ADMIEAL HIEAM PAULDma. 

three quarters of a mile long, a quarter of a mile vnde, 
and covered with machine shops and buildings of various 
kinds. In the harbor were the new steam frigate Merri- 
mac, the line-of-battle-ship Pennsylvania, the German- 
town, the Dolphin, and other vessels. Nine millions of 
property were supposed to be in the yard, and among it 
three thousand cannon. All this the rebels expected to 
have, and troops w^ere assembled to seize it On the night 
of the 16th of April a large number of boats loaded with 
stones, were towed into the channel and sunk, so that 
the large vessels could not be towed out, and two days 
after, the rebel general Taliaferro arrived to take charge 
of the troops, when the federal naval officers resigned 
their commissions, and passed over to the confederate 
government. This state of things being reported at 
Washington, it was determined to destroy the yard and 
all its material, to prevent it from falling into the hands 
of the rebels. The Pawnee, Captain Powan command- 
ing, had just arrived from its fruitless endeavor to rein- 
force Sumter, and six hundred men were immediately put 
on board the vessel with Paulding as flag officer, and she 
ordered down to the yard. She started on the night of 
the 21st, with a bright moon to guide her on her course, 
and steamed down the Potomac. The next evening at 
eight o'clock she reached the wharf, and was received with 
thundering cheers by the loyal gallant crews, while the 
traitors were seized with alarm, lest the Pawnee should 
open her broadsides on everything within reach. Whether 
the government could have saved the yard, had it pos- 
sessed more confidence and boldness, it is impossible to 
say, but the attempt was not made. 

Paulding ordered the troops, as soon as the Pa^vnee 
was made fast to the dock, to land and seize all the gates 



A FEAKFUL SPECTACLE. 501 

of the yard. He thought the Cumberland might be saved, 
and determmed to try and tow her out. Everything 
that could be carried and was valuable, was taken out 
of the Pennsylvania and the other vessels, and then the 
work of destruction began. Some three thousand men 
sprang to their task with a will, and shot and shells and 
stacks of arms were thrown overboard, while the heavy 
guns could only be spiked. All night long the work of 
destruction went on, and it was nearly morning when 
the Pawnee, taking the Cumberland in tow, and with all 
the men on board except those left behind to fire the 
trains, cast loose and moved off a short distance. Every- 
thing being ready, Paulding ordered a rocket to be sent 
up, the signal agreed on for the torch to be applied. It 
rose gracefully into the air with its silent message, and as 
it "burst in shivers of many-colored lights," the men 
who watched its ascent, fired the trains. In an instant the 
flames leaped up in every direction, revealing the whole 
yard as by magic, and turning night into day. Startled 
by the mighty conflagration from their sleep, the citizens 
of Norfolk and Portsmouth rushed into the open air, and 
saw the whole heavens illumined as though the fires of 
the last day had been kindled. The flames leaped from 
the pitchy, smoking decks to the shrouds, and curled like 
fiery serpents round the tall masts, while on every side piles 
of material and dwellings became a mass of fire. Says 
a spectator of the terrific scene, " It was not thirty min- 
utes from the time the trains were fired, till the confla- 
gration roared like a hurricane, and the flames from land 
and water swayed and mingled together, and darted high, 
and fell, and leaped up again, and by their very motion 
showed their sympathy with the crackling, crashing roar 
of destruction beneath. But in all this magnificent scene, 



502 EEAK-ADMIEAL HIE AM PAULDING. 

the old ship Pennsylvania was the centre-piece. She 
was a very giant in death, as she had been in life. She 
was a sea of flame, and ' when the iron entered her soul ' 
and her bowels were consuming, then did she spout forth 
from every port-hole of every deck, torrents and cataracts 
of fire, that to the mind of Milton, would have repre- 
sented her a frigate of hell, pouring out unremitting broad- 
sides of infernal fire. Several of her guns were left 
loaded but not shotted, and as the fire reached them they 
sent out on the startled morning air, minute guns of fear- 
ful peal, that added greatly to the alarm that the light 
of the conflagration had spread through the surrounding 
country. The Pennsylvania burned like a volcano for 
five hours and a half, before her mainmast fell. I stood 
watching the proud but perishing leviathan, as this em- 
blem of her majesty was about to come down. At pre- 
cisely half past nine, the tall tree that stood in her centre 
tottered and fell, and crushed deep into her burning sides, 
while a storm of sparks flooded the sky." 

Paulding, with the Cumberland in tow, succeeded in 
jrettino; out of Elizabeth river. His work was then done, 
and he left the Pawnee at City Point. 

Not long after this he was placed over the Navy 
Yard at Brooklyn, where he remained. He was one of 
the three appointed by the Secretary of the navy to 
investigate the subject of armored vessels, and to contract 
for the three first that were built: — viz. the Ericsson, 
Galena, and Ironsides. He is now on the retired list. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

REAR-ADMIRAL JAMES S. PALMER. 

ma NATIVITY. — ^ENTERS THB NAYY. — LENGTH OF SEA-8EEYI0E. — AT THE BE 
GINNING OF THE WAR SENT IN THE IROQUOIS IN SEAECH OF THE PRI- 
VATEER SUMTER. — ^BLOCKADES HER IN THE HARBOR OF ST. PIERRE. — 

HER ESCAPE. CONDEMNATION OF PALMER. — HIS VINDICATION. — JOINS 

FARRAGUT ABOVE NEW ORLEANS. — ^DEMANDS THE SURRENDER OF BATON 
ROUGE. — OF NATOHES.— LEADS THE LINE IN PASSING VIOKSBURG. — COM- 
MANDS THE FLAG-SHIP IN THE PASSAGE OF PORT HUDSON. — COMMANDS 
THE WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON. — WITH ADMIRAL THATCHER IN 
THE CAPTURE OF MOBILE. — HIGHLY COMPLIMENTARY LETTER OF THE LAT- 
TER. 

Admiral Palmer is a native of New Jersey, from 
wMcli State he entered tlie Navy, the 1st of January, 
1825. Between tliis date and the breaking ont of the 
war, he saw nearly twelve years of sea service — was 
engaged on shore duty about five, and was unemployed 
between eighteen and nineteen years. Altogether, he 
had been about thirty-six years in the service. 

Soon after the commencement of hostilities, the Con- 
federate Government sent the privateer Sumter to sea, 
to prey on our commerce, when Palmer, in the Iroquois, 
was despatched in search of her. His cruise was a fruit- 
less one ; and constantly led astray by false reports, he 
had almost begun to despair of stopping her depreda- 
tions ; when, in the fall of 1861, while coaling in St. 
Thomas, he heard that she had just put into Poi-t 



504 EEAK-ADMIEAL JAMES S. PALMER. 

Koyal, Martinique. Tliis time tlie information came so 
direct, that lie gave it fall credence, and immediately 
ceased coaling — got liis engines together, and started 
off for Martinique — an'iving in St. Pien'e in tliirty-six 
houi's. As lie turned into tlie liarLor, lie saw a sus- 
picious looking steamer moored to tlie wharf, which, on 
nearer approach, proved to be the notorious Sumter, 
boldly flying the secession flag. His an'ival threw the 
to^vn and shipping into the greatest excitement ; for it 
was not certain that Palmer would not attack this 
bold rover even in a neutral port. This, however, he 
could not well have done, had he been so inclined, with- 
out firing into the houses of the inhabitants. But fear- 
ing that she might slip out under cover of darkness. 
Palmer cruised around the harbor all night, never going 
more than half gunshot from her. 

In the morning, a French man-of-war came round 
from Port Royal, the seat of government, some twelve 
miles distant. The Sumter had been there for two days, 
and although the government had refused to give her any 
coal, allowed her to come around to St. Pierre, where 
she easily obtained it fr'om some English merchants. 
Palmer said " she had evidently been received with 
courtesy at the seat of government, and this farce of the 
non-recognition of the Confederate flag is played out in 
both France and England." He at once addi^essed a 
note to the governor, in which he said : " As your Ex- 
cellency cannot be aware of the character of this vessel, 
I denounce her to you as one who has been, for some 
time, engaged in pirating upon the commerce of the 
United States, robbing, bm-niug, and otherwise destroy- 
ing all American vessels that come within her reach. 
May I not hope, therefore, that your Excellency, upon 



BLOCKADES THE SUMTER. 505 

this representation, will not allow lier to enjoy tLe 
privileges I complain of, but direct lier to leave the 
protection of the French flag, and the immunities of 
the French port." 

To this the governor replied that he could not depart 
from strict neutrality. The captain of the French war 
steamer also addressed Pahuer a note, in which he said 
that he had been requested by the governor to ask him 
not to compromise the neutrality of the French water? 
by establishing a blockade within their jurisdiction, but 
come to anchor, when every hospitality and facility 
would be afforded him, or else take up his position a 
marine league from shore. He decided to anchor, when 
the French commander visited him, and after the usual 
exhibitions of national courtesy, politely called his at- 
tention to the law of nations that one bellisrerent could 
not depai-t till twenty-four hours after the other had 
sailed. 

Suspecting that the Sumter, aware of this fact, was 
about to slip away, as her steam was up, he immediately 
weighed anchor and put to sea until he had reached 
the marine league, when he hove to. He passed the 
night in much anxiety, fearing that in the darkness and 
under cover of the high land, the Sumter would escape. 
He knew the people of the town generally sympathized 
with the rebel craft, and hence he need expect no aid 
or information from them. Besides, where he lay was 
almost an open roadstead fifteen miles wide, while the 
surrounding land was very high, with bold shores. He 
needed at least two more steamers to keep watch and 
ward over the rebel cruiser. Although the nights were 
moonlight, he knew she could steal out under shadow 
of the land in spite of him. It was a very disagreeable 



506 EEAE- ADMIRAL JAMES S. PALMElt. 

position to be placed in ; for, while painfully conscious 
it would be almost impossible to prevent her escape; 
lie was also aware that it would be equally impossible 
to convince his countrymen that he was not to blame 
if she did. He thus lay off for nine days, waiting for 
her to put to sea, while she all the time lay moored to 
the wharf surrounded by sympathizing crowds, who 
wished her to escape. 

At length, on the 23d of November, when the moon- 
light nights had ended, the Sumter prepared to leave. 
Signals which Palmer had arranged beforehand were 
at once made from shore that she was under way, and 
steering to the northward. He immediately steamed in 
that direction, but found no Sumter. Probably, made 
aware of the course Palmer was pursuing, she doubled 
like a hare in the chase, and shot out to sea in the 
opposite direction. The next morning Palmer cruised 
in every direction, but the privateer was nowhere to be 
seen, wliile it was impossible to guess whither she had 
gone. 

The public were irritated at her escape, and great 
injustice was done Palmer for a time. The people were 
impatient and unreasonable, and the Government, if not 
equally so, was more or less influenced by the state of 
feeling, and nothing short of impossibilities would 
satisfy either. Palmer was at once relieved from com- 
mand of the Iroquois ; but subsequent investigation 
showed the injustice of the act, and that he had done 
all that a wise and efficient officer could do. 

The next year he was given his vessel again, and 
just after the passage of the batteries below New Or- 
leans, joined Farragut, and was sent by him up the 
river to demand the surrender of Baton Kouge. He 



DECEDED ACTION. 507 

did so, but tlie mayor returning a pompous, ridiculous 
answer, Palmer said : " I was determined to submit to 
no such nonsense, and accordingly weighed anchor and 
steamed up almost abreast of the arsenal, landed a force, 
took possession of the arsenal, barracks and other public 
property of the United States, and hoisted over it our 
flag." From this point he proceeded to Natchez and 
demanded its surrender, offering the same terms which 
had been granted to Baton Rouge. But the authorities 
refused to receive the communication at the landing, 
which conduct. Palmer said, " being rather more digni- 
fied than wise, I instantly seized the ferryboat, then on 
this side, occupied in filling herself with coal, which I 
intended to secure also, and placing on board of her a 
force from this squadron of seamen and marines, and a 
couple of howitzers, under the command of Lieutenant 
Harmany of this ship, sent her across to the landing, 
vsdth orders that if there were not some of the authori- 
ties to receive my communication, he was' to land his 
force, march up to the town, which was about half a 
mile distant, with colors flying, and there cause the 
mayor to receive and read my letter. But when the 
party had reached the landing, they found two members 
of the common council, sent with an apology from the 
mayor, to receive my communication. They begged 
that the force should not be landed, as they intended 
to make no resistance, and seemed disposed to acquiesce 
in anything I demanded." 

This settled the matter. The next month, June, 
hearing that earthworks were being thrown up at Grand 
Gulf, he sent down the Wissahickon and Itasca, under 
command of De Camp, who had commanded the Iro- 
quois in the passage of the forts below New Orleans, 



508 EEAE-ADMIEAL JAMES S. PAL:MEE. 

to ascertain tlie fact. The latter found there a battery 
of rifled guns, and five hundred artillerists to defend it. 
A sharp conflict ensued, in which one vessel was hulled 
twenty-five times, and the other seventeen. Palmei 
then dropped down abreast of the town mth his 
squadron, which composed the advance division of 
Farragut's fleet, and shelled the enemy out of it. 

In the passage of the batteries of Vicksburg this 
month, Palmer, in the Iroquois, led the line. In speak- 
ing of it, he says, in the most business-like manner : 
" We so fought our way up, running close into the 
town, having a raking fire from the fort above, and a 
plunging fire from the batteries on the hill, together 
with broadsides from the cannon planted in the streets ; 
and, what is most strange, through all this heavy con- 
centrated fire, with the exception of cutting away both 
our mainstays, and some other immaterial damage to 
the rigging, we escaped without injury. One shell 
burst on board of us, scattering its fragments around, 
and yet no casualty occurred. 

" We remained off the upper battery until joined by 
the flag-ship, when, following your motions, we anchored 
out of range. My men and officers behaved with the 
same coolness which, I learn, so distinguished them in 
the attack on the forts below New Orleans." 

In speaking of the action, Farragut said : " No one 
behaved better than commander J. S. Palmer of the 
Iroquois." 

When, in the following month, Farragut determined 
to drop down below Vicksburg, and endeavor in his 
passage to destroy the ram Arkansas, which, coming out 
of the Yazoo, had boldly passed through the combined 
fleets, and anchored under the batteries of the city, 



OPEBATIONS BEFOEE MOBILE. 509 

Palmer was again selected to lead the line in the Iro- 
quois. When under the concentrated fire of the enemy, 
his worn-out engines suddenly stopped, and for nearly half 
an hour he lay helpless under it, and had it been better 
directed, would probably have sent him to the bottom. 
But being wild, and hence comparatively harmless, it 
" very soon gave him no concern." The moment he could 
get his engines in working order again, he stood up for the 
batteries, thinking the flag-ship was above; but learn- 
ing that she had passed below in the darkness, he also 
dropped down and anchored beside her. The high 
estimation in which FaiTagut held Palmer may be 
inferred from the fact that the next spring, in March, 
when he resolved to run the terrible batteries of Port 
Hudson, Palmer commanded his ship, and stood on the 
poop-deck by his side in the awful conflict that fol- 
lowed. Farragut, in reporting it, said: "This shij^ moved 
up the river in good style. Captain Palmer governing 
with excellent judgment her fire according to circum- 
stances, stopping when the smoke became too dense to 
see, and re-opening whenever a fresh battery fired upon 
us; but we always silenced their batteries when we 
fired." 

In 1864, Palmer was commodore, commanding at New 
Orleans. The next year he commanded the Western 
Gulf Blockading squadron. While here, he caj^tured 
and destroyed several blockade runners. Later in the 
season, he cooperated with Admiral Thatcher in the 
movements that resulted in the fall of Mobile. With 
the overthrow of this last stronghold of the rebellion, 
he returned north. To show the high estimation in 
which he was held by Admiral Thatcher, and the 
important aid he rendered him, we quote the following 



510 EEAE-ADMIEAL JAMES S. PALMEE. 

higUy complimentary letter of the latter to tlie Secre- 
tary of tLe Navy : 

United States Flag-Ship Stookdale, ) 
West Gulp Squadron, Mobile, Ala., May 8, 1865. ) 

Sir : The Department was informed by Commodore Palmer, under date 
of February 10, 1865, that he would avail himself of the permission granted 
by it, to retiirn north after the fall of Mobile ; and as he is now about to 
leave this squadron, I beg leave to say that he has rendered me most ef- 
ficient and untiring service throughout the attack upon the defences of the 
city, which has resulted so favorably to our arms ; and I am indebted to 
him for the admirable manner in which the vessels to be employed for this 
service were prepared under his supervision, previous to my arrival on the 
station, and I part with him with reluctance and regret. 

It was the belief of the enemy that it would be impossible for our moni- 
tors and gunboats to cross the Blakely River bar, owing to the shallowness 
of the water ; but should we succeed in doing so, their hope rested in our 
entire destruction by the innumerable torpedoes with which they had filled 
the river, combined with their marsh batteries ; and they well knew that 
our success in overcoming these obstacles would be fatal to them ; but by 
great exertions night and day, under fire, we succeeded. 

Commodore Palmer commanded the first division, consisting of the 
monitors and Octorara, and successfully ascended the Blakely with them, 
coming down the Tensas, directly in front of the city ; the remainder of the 
gunboats, led by the flag-ship, convoying General Granger's command, for 
the purpose of making a joint attack in flank and front. These movements 
having been anticipated by the enemy, led to the evacuation ; and although 
Commodore Palmer did not have the satisfaction of bombarding the city, 
he had placed himself in position to do so effectually, had not the rebels 
deprived him of the opportunity by flight. 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

H. K. THATCHER, 
Acting Bear-Admiral, CorrCdg West Gulf Squadron. 
Hon. Gideon "Welles, 

Secretary of tJie Navy, Washington, D. C. 

Notwithstanding the rank to which Admiral Palmer 
has attained, he may, in one respect, regard himself an 
unlucky man. Had fortune favored him in the commence- 
ment of the war, when he so faithfully blockaded the 
Sumter, and enabled him to catch her as she steamed out 



HIS CHAEACTEE. 511 

of the harbor, he would have been promoted at once, 
and placed at the head of some of those expeditions in 
which the leaders of them won such renown. From the 
bravery, resolution and ability of the man, we may be 
assured that he would have won a reputation second to 
none. 

In 1866 he commanded the West India Squadron. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

CAPTAIN JOHN LORIMER WORDEN. 

HIS NATIVITY. — EARLY SEETICES. — SEEVES IN THE -WAE WITH MEXICO. — FIEST 
LIEUTENANT IN THE BROOKLYN NAVY YARD. — BEFORE HOSTILITIES COM- 
MENCED IN 1861, WAS SENT TO PENSAOOLA WITH SECRET DESPATCHES. — 
HIS SUCCESS AND AFTER IMPRISONMENT. — EXCHANGED. — LOSES HIS HEALTH. 
— PUT IN COMMAND OF THE NEW MONITOR. — -FIGHT WITH THE MEERIMAC 
IN HAMPTON BOADS. — IS WOUNDED. — COMMANDS THE MONTAUK. — ATTACKS 
FORT m'aLLISTER. — DESTROYS THE PRIVATEER NASHVILLE. — TAKES PART IN 
THE ATTACK OF THE IRON-CLADS ON FORT SUMTER. — HIS PRESENT COM- 
MAND. 

The liero of the first Monitor, and tlie first prisoner 
of war, was born at Mount Pleasant, Dutchess County, 
Marcli 12, 1818. He entered the navy in 1834, and 
was promoted to lieutenant in 1840. After nine years 
of service, he was ordered to the National Observatory 
at Washington, where he remained till the Mexican 
war, when he was transferred to the store-ship Southamp- 
ton, of the Pacific squadron. At the close of the war, 
he was made first lieutenant of the Brooklyn Navy 
Yard. 

In April, 1861, when war was found to be inevi- 
table, he was sent by the Government as bearer of 
despatches to Captain Adams of the frigate Sabine, 
commanding the fleet at Pensacola. These despatches 



THKOWN INTO PKISON. 513 

lie committed to memory and then destroyed tliem. 
This fleet had been sent to Fort Pickens with two 
companies of artillery, to reinforce it whenever orders 
were sent to do so. These despatches contained such 
orders, and were destroyed lest the rebels should get 
possession of them, and prevent them reaching their 
destination. Lieutenant Worden arrived at Pensacola 
by way of Eichmond and Montgomery on the 11th of 
the month. He here had an interview with General 
Bragg, and obtained from him a permit to visit Captain 
Adams, stating in reply to an interrogation as to his 
object, that he had a verbal communication from the 
Secretary of War to him. Going on board he delivered 
his message, and received a written reply in return, 
acknowledging the reception of the despatches, and 
stating that they should be carried out. 

Fort Pickens was reinforced by Captain Vogdes that 
night. In the meantime, Worden was on the cars, 
whirling north. But when within five miles of Mont- 
gomery, five officers of the rebel army came in and 
arrested him, and took him to the Adjutant General 
Montgomery was at that time the rebel capital, and a 
cabinet meeting was immediately called to consult on 
his case. He was finally remanded to the custody of 
the Deputy Mai'shal, in whose rooms he remained a 
prisoner for two days, and was then placed in the 
county jail. Worden boldly demanded the reason for 
his arrest and confinement, but could get no answer. 
He heard, however, it was because he had violated his 
word of honor, as well as Captain Adams, who, Bragg 
declared, had made an agreement with him, that no 
attempt either to reinforce or take the fort without 
previous notice, should be made by either party. It 

33 



514 CAPTAIN JOHN LOEIMEE WOEDEN. ^ 

afterwards turned out, that Bragg had actually resolved 
to seize the fort the very night it was reinforced. 

Worden remained in prison for seven months, or 
until the 13th of November. He was well treated and 
allowed to purchase such provisions as he chose. A 
great many Southern officers who were formerly ac- 
quainted with him in the service visited him, and used 
every effort, but in vain, to obtain his release on parole. 
Until mail connection with the North was cut off he was 
allowed to wi'ite to his friends and receive letters from 
them, but all except those from his family were opened 
and read before he was allowed to see them. After 
the fight at Santa Kosa Island, Major Vogdes and 
twenty-two of Wilson's men were placed in prison with 

-him. 

His confinement dui-ing the hot summer months 
"broke down his health, and on the 13th of November, 
Quartermaster Calhoun informed him that he was re- 
leased on parole, and ordered to report himself to the 
Adjutant General at Kichmond. Having given his w^ord 
not to divulge anything which he might learn on his 
journey to the disadvantage of the Confederacy, he next 
morning set out for Kichmond, where he arrived on Sun- 
day evening the seventeenth. After an interview with 
the Adjutant General and Acting Secretary of War, 
Benjamin, he was sent to Norfolk and exchanged. 

His health was so much impaired, that he was com- 
pelled to remain in New York till the next February, 
to recruit. 

The following month, March, he was placed in com- 
mand of Ericsson's Monitor, and ordered to proceed to 
Hampton Eoads. He arrived there on the evening of 
the eighth, and immediately went out to the protection of 



KAID OF THE MEEEIMAC. 515 

tlie Minnesota, lying hard aground just below Newport 
News. 

Worden found a terrible state of things on his 
arrival. The iron-clad Merrimac had come out that 
very day, and sent two of our vessels to the bottom. 
The most intense excitement prevailed, and all wondered 
what the morning would bring forth. Lieutenant Morris, 
in temporary command of the Cumberland, had fought 
his ship bravely, but his terrific broadsides had no effect 
on the monster, and she kept on her way shaking the 
heavy shot like peas from her mailed sides, and struck 
the frigate with a force that careened her far over, and 
stove a hole in her side as big as a hogshead. Deliver- 
ing a broadside as she backed off, she came on again, 
striking her amidships. She then lay off and deliber- 
ately hurled the shells from her 100-pound Armstrong 
guns into the sinking ship. These monstrous missiles 
of death tore through the wooden sides of the Cumber- 
land with a destructive power that was awful to wit- 
ness. Guns went spinning over the deck — great masses 
of splintered timbers flew about like straws in a gale, 
while dismembered, mangled bodies lay strewed over the 
gory deck. But Morris, aided by Lieutenants Daven- 
port, Selfridge, and other subordinate officers, disdained 
to surrender, and poured in the heavy broadsides with 
a rapidity and power that would have sent any wooden 
vessel that ever floated to the bottom. But they made 
no impression apparently on this mailed monster. To 
the report that the ship was sinking, these noble officers 
replied only with fiercer broadsides. They determined 
that the flag above them should never be struck, and 
like Paul Jones, when told that his vessel was on fire 
and sinking, replied : " If we can do no better, we wall 



516 CAPTAIN JOHN LORIMER WOEDEK 

sink alongside," they too resolved to figlit on, wLile a 
gun could be fired, and then go down with their colors 
proudly flying. At length the waters rushed through 
the port-holes, as the noble frigate slowly settled over 
them. Still not a man faltered, and the pivot-guns on 
deck gave a last shot as with a sudden lurch the vessel 
went to the bottom, carrying her dead and wounded 
^vith her. 

Some attempted to escape by swimming, and many 
were picked up by a propeller, but nearly a hundred of 
the gallant crew went to the bottom with her, and 
among them the Chaplain. 

The work of destruction had been completed in 
forty-five minutes, and then the Merrimac turned to the 
Congress, which, seeing the fate of the Cumberland, 
hoisted sail and endeavored to escape, but got hopelessly 
aground. The Merrimac now steamed to within about 
a hundred yards, and then lay to and deliberately raked 
the frigate fi'om stem to stern with her enormous shells. 
The carnage was awful. The rebel steamers Jamestown 
and Yorktown also came up and poured in their fire, 
and soon the decks of the Congress presented a ghastly 
spectacle. Added to all, she was set on fire in three 
places, and the flames, fanned by a brisk wind, soon 
roared along her decks. Out of feelings of humanity to 
the w^ounded, who would be roasted alive in the burning 
ship, the colors were hauled down. But while a boat 
was coming to take off the prisoners, some sharpshooters 
on shore kept up their fire, which so incensed the com- 
mander of the Merrimac, that he ordered another broad- 
side to be poured into the surrendered vessel, which 
caused great slaughter. 

Leaving the Congress to consume away until her 



TIEE COMBAT. 517 

magazine was readied, tlie Merrimac now turned to tlie 
Minnesota and Lawrence, both of wHcli had unaccount- 
ably got aground. That all these vessels should get 
aground, and thus become helpless targets for the 
enemy, is certainly very strange. 

As the Merrimac approached the Minnesota, she 
received one of the broadsides of the latter, and fired in 
turn, but she could not get within a mile, and fearing 
to get aground in the dark she retii'ed to her anchorage, 
behind Craney Island, to wait till morning before com- 
pleting her work of destruction. 

This was the state of things at the time of Worden's 
arrival. The Monitor was a small vessel, mounting only 
two guns in her revolving turret, and wholly untried in 
combat. Those who hailed her arrival as a saviour, 
were confounded at her insignificant appearance. It 
required a great deal of faith to believe she could cope 
with a vessel that had just destroyed two frigates. 

It was a sad Saturday night — Fortress Monroe was 
throno-ed with fuo^itives — the heavens were aflame with 
the burning Congress, which at last exploded with the 
sound of thunder — the Merrimac was apparently unin- 
jured, and, " What will the Sabbath morning bring ? " 
was the mournful question that trembled on every lip. 

Worden lay all night alongside of the Minnesota, in 
case a nocturnal attack should be attempted. 

The morning broke bright and beautiful — not a cloud 
obscured the sky, and eveiy glass was turned in the 
direction from which the Merrimac was expected to 
come. Soon she was seen approaching, accompanied by 
her consorts of the day before. The Minnesota at once 
beat to quarters. Worden ordered the iron hatches to 
be closed, the dead light covers put on, and the little 



518 CAPTAm JOHN LOEBIER WORDEN. 

Monitor put in perfect fighting trim, while he and some 
of his officers stood on the top of the turret and watched 
the movements of the approaching vessels. These were 
followed by steamers filled with gentlemen and ladies 
from Norfolk, who were coming out to see the crowning 
victory. As the Merrimac approached the Minnesota, 
Worden steamed out and ran boldly down to meet her. 
The enemy seemed non-plussed at the bold approach 
of what seemed scarcely big enough to be a New York 
ferryboat. It looked more like a raft with a round tub 
upon it nine feet high, and twenty feet in diameter. 
The commander of the Minnesota watched her progress 
with the deepest anxiety, for on the success of this new, 
untried experiment rested the salvation of his ship. To 
his astonishment, he saw Worden lay her right alongside 
of the Merrimac, where she looked like a fly beside an 
ox. But small as she was, her guns threw shot weigh- 
ing a hundred and seventy pounds, and the first that 
struck the Merrimac woke her commander up to a sense 
of the danger that menaced him, and he opened a whole 
broadside on the tiny structure ; heavy enough, one would 
think, to blow her out of the water. But the turret was 
the only thing to fire at, and most of the shot flew 
harmlessly over her, while those that did strike the 
turret, glanced off. It was a marvellous spectacle — 
that little thing holding at bay and worrying such a 
monster. 

The Merrimac, finding that she could do nothing 
with her pertinacious little adversary, turned her at- 
tention once more to the Minnesota, and steaming 
towards her, received a broadside from the latter, which, 
as Van Brunt, her commander, said, " would have l)lown 
out of the water any timber-built ship in the world." 



THE VICTORY. 519 

The heavy shot, however, rattled harmlessly against the 
sides of the Memmac, when she, in turn, sent a rifled 
shell into the Minnesota, which tore through the chief 
engineer's state-room, the engineers' mess-room, amid- 
ships, and bursting in the boatswain's room, knocked 
four rooms into one in its headlong passage, and set the 
vessel on fire. A second exploded the boiler of the tug 
Dragon alongside, causing for a while, great alarm. But 
all this time, Worden in his " cheese-tub," as the rebels 
called her, was crowding all steam to overtake his pow- 
erful adversary, and by the time the latter had firecl his 
third shell was again between the two vessels, covering 
with amazing audacity the Minnesota. Exasperated at 
her inability either to shake off her puny antagonist or 
cripple her, the Merrimac now determined to run into 
and over her, and sink her by mere weight — and turning, 
ran full speed upon hei\ She stiTick the little Monitor 
with tremendous force, and her bow passed over the 
deck. But at that close range Worden planted one of 
his heavy shot square on the iron roof, with such resist- 
less force that it went clean through. The monster 
backed off with a shudder, and then, enraged at the 
invulnerability of her antagonist, concentrated her entire 
fire on the turret. Worden was stationed at the pilot- 
house, while Green managed the guns, and Stimers 
turned the turret. The two vessels at times almost 
touched, and the explosion of their monster guns at 
this short range was most terrific. Titanic hammers 
seemed incessantly falling on their iron armor — so fierce 
and fast flew the shot. One shot struck the turret with 
such force that it knocked down Lieutenant Stimers and 
two men. Another struck the pilot-house, breaking in 
two an iron log a foot thick. It hit just outside of where 



520 CAPTAIN JOHN LOEIMER WOEDEN. 

Worden had liis eye, knocking liim senseless, while the 
small particles of iron driven off by the concussion, flew 
into his eyes, completely blinding him for the time 
beino-. But it was soon evident that the Merrimac was 
getting the worst of it. Worden had found his way 
into her vitals, and would soon send her to the bottom, 
and so she wheeled out of the conflict and under the 
convoy of two tugs, limped away to her moorings. The 
Monitor followed her a short distance, but Worden having 
received orders to act strictly on the defensive, and not 
leave the fleet, he soon ceased to follow his thoroughly 
humbled antagonist. 

Lieutenant Wise, who had watched the conflict from 
the shore, now jumped into a boat and rowed oft' to the 
Monitor. As he descended through the " man hole " to 
the cabin below, everything was as calm and quiet as 
though nothing extraordinary had happened. One 
oflicer stood by the mirror, leisurely combing his hair, 
another was washing some blood from his hands, while 
the gallant commander lay on a settee with his eyes 
bandaged, but giving no sign of the excrutiating pain 
that racked him. The first words he uttered on recover- 
ing from the stunning eftect of the shot was : 

" Have I saved the Minnesota ? " 

" Yes," was the reply, " and whipped the Merrimac.'" 

" Then," said he, " I don't care what becomes of 
me." 

He had saved more than the Minnesota — how miicli 
that more was, one shudders to contemplate. It is a 
wonder — when we remember how the iron-clads after- 
wards suffered before Charleston — that the tuiTet did 
not get jammed so that it would not revolve ; or one, 
at least, of the two cannon, did not have its muzzle 



BOMBAEDS FOKT m'aLLISTEK. 521 

broken off under tlie close and awful cannonade to 
wliicli slie was exposed. 

Some will call it a wonderful piece of luck, Avliile 
tlie devout man will see in it a remarkable interference 
of Providence in our belialf. Never was a government 
so warned as ours had been of tkis very catastrophe, 
and never did one show sucli apathy uuder it. 

Lieutenant Worden was now laid up for some time ; 
but as soon as he was able, he again asked for active 
service, and being promoted to commander, was placed 
in command of the Montauk, attached to the South 
Atlantic Blockading Squadron. In January, 1863, 
Duj^ont sent him down to operate up the great 
Ogeechee River ; to capture, if he could, the fort at Gen- 
esis Point, and destroy the Nashville that lay under 
its protection. With four other vessels, he for nearly 
four hours bombarded the foil:, and withdrew only 
after his ammunition was expended — very little damage, 
however, was done on either side. A few days after he 
renewed the attack with like results — though his vessel 
w^as hit forty-six times. 

The last of this month, having ascertained that the 
Nashville had got aground just above Fort McAllister, 
he steamed up, and though under a tremendous can- 
nonade from the latter, set her on fire with his shells, 
completely destroying her. 

In the attack of the iron-clads on Sumter the follow- 
ing April, he carried his ship into action with his usual 
gallantry, and retired only on the signal of Dupont. 
He was hit fourteen times, and though no one had had 
greater experience than he in the power of iron-clads, 
he said that if the attack had been continued, it would 
have ended in disaster. 



522 CAPTAIN JOHN LOEIMER WOP.DEN. 

Worden was afterwards detached from tHs ship — 
his health having failed him, and he was engaged in 
no other important action during the war. 

He is now on duty on the coast of South America. 



CHAPTEK XXV. 

REAR-ADMIRAL HENRY H. BELL. 

HI3 NATIVITY. — AVENGES AN INSULT OFFERED TO THE NATIONAL FLAG IN 
CHINA. — AT THE SECESSION OF THE SOUTH DISOWNS HIS NATIVE STATE. — 
SEEVICE8 IN NEW TOEK. — APPOINTED FAEEAGUt's FLEET CAPTAIN. — A 
BOLD EECONNOISSANCE. — CUTS THE BAEEIEE ACEOSS THE MISSISSIPPI. — 
LEADS ONE DIVISION OF THE FLEET IN THE PASSAGE OF THE FOETS. — HOISTS 
THE NATIONAL COLOES OVEE THE CUSTOM HOUSE IN NEW OELEANS. — COOL- 
NESS IN PASSING THE VICKSBUEG BATTEEIES. — SUCCEEDS FAEEAGUT IN COM- 
MAND OF THE WEST GULF BLOCKADING SQUADEON. — OEDEEED NOETH. — 
6EEVICE IN NEW YOEK. — HIS HEALTH BEEAKS DOWN. — HIS PEESENT POSI- 
TION. 

Admiral Bell is a native of Xortli Carolina, from 
wLicli State lie entered tlie navy the 4tli of August, 
1823. His early cruises differed little from those of 
other young officers. He was distinguished for devo- 
tion to his profession, and steadily rose in it till, at the 
breaking out of the war, he ranked as captain. 

In 1855, he commanded the frigate San Jacinto, 
then attached to the East India Squadron, under Com- 
modore Armstrong. While on this station, one of the 
ship's boats returning one day from the shore — whither 
it had been sent — was fired upon by the Barrier forts 
in Canton River. The Commodore was inclined to 
negotiate on the matter, but Captain Bell and Captain 
(since Admiral) Foote, were aroused at this insult to 



524 EEAE-ADMIRAL HENEY II. BELL. 

the American flag and urged the former so vehemently 
to avenge it on the spot, that he finally consented to let 
these gallant officers do it in their own way. They at 
ouce manned their boats and pulled for the forts. The 
latter opened fire as they approached ; but the rowers 
bent steadily to their oars until they were beached near 
the hostile works. Bell and Foote then formed their men, 
and leading them in person, rushed to the assault with 
such fury, that the Chinese, terror-stricken, left their 
guns and fied in every direction. Captain Bell then 
laid the trains and fired them with his own hand, blow- 
ing the forts into fragments. He thus taught the 
Chinese that it was a dangerous thing to touch the 
American flag where his ship floated. 

Although Captain Bell was a Southerner by birth, 
and married a Southern woman, and one connected with 
the leading families and secessionists of Virginia, he 
never wavered a moment in his duty. Indeed, it can 
scarcely be said it got so far as a question of mere duty 
with him. Intensely loyal, his whole soul was aroused 
at the rebellious attitude of the South. The first gun 
fired at the old flag at Sumter, stirred his blood as did 
the hostile shot aimed at it in Canton Kiver. When his 
native State seceded and joined the Southern Confeder- 
acy, he wrote to Washington requesting to have his 
name registered as coming from the loyal State of New 
York, as he was unwilling to appear in any way as 
belonging to a secession State. 

In 1861, Captain Bell was employed in the respon- 
sible duty of fitting out and arming the nondescript 
vessels that the agent of the Navy Department was 
buying to be used in blockade duty. 

When Farragrut took command of the West Gulf 



A BOLD EECONNOISSANCE. 525 

Blockading Squadron, Captain Bell was appointed his 
fleet captain, and took part in all tke operations that 
led to the fall of New Orleans. 

The month previous to the passage of the forts, he 
ran up to inspect the cable that stretched across the 
river, and the batteries. This bold movement drew a 
furious fire from the forts, but Bell coolly finished 
his reconnoissance. Some time after, Farragut wanted to 
get a peep at them himself, and so Bell took him up. 
He steamed up in broad midday, and could see through 
his glass the forts thronged with ofiicers watching his 
movements. But to obtain a fairer view. Bell and Far- 
ragut mounted the rigging, and getting astride the cross- 
trees, began to take observations. In a few moments a 
puff of white smoke was seen to issue from Fort Jack- 
son, and before it had melted into the air a 100-pound 
rifle shell came sci-eeching towards them, striking the 
water about one hundi'ed yards ahead of the vessel. 
After a short interval there came another puff of smoke, 
and another monster shot shrieked overhead, passing 
only fifty feet above Farragut and BelL This was get- 
ting rather too close, for Bell had the Admiral with 
him, and " Back her " came ft'om aloft. The vessel 
drifted down two or three ship's lengths, when a third 
shell struck and burst on the very spot they had just 
left. In a few minutes. Bell steamed ahead again into 
the fire, when a 100-pound shell came like a sudden 
gust of wind between the smoke-stack and mainmast — 
its windage actually rocking one of the boats hanging 
to the vessel's side. 

When everything was ready for the squadron to 
advance, it was necessary, as a preparatory step, to cut 
the cable, which was strung across the river on hulks 



526 EEAR-ADMIRAL HENRY H. BELL. 

below tlie forts. This daring and difficult enterprise 
was entrusted to Captain Bell. It was a dark night, 
when, taking the Pinola and Itasca gunboats, he steamed 
up to the barrier. Petards had been brought from the 
north, which were to be thrown aboard one of the hulks, 
and discharged by electric wires from one of the gun- 
"boats — this part of the plan failed, OAving to the heavy 
gale that was blowing. 

As Bell steamed past the line of mortar schooners 
Porter opened lire ; and, canopied by blazing shells, arch- 
ing the sky overhead, the boats ran boldly up to the 
cable, and commenced the work of destruction. Sledges 
and chisels were soon busy sundering the chain ; 
the anchors of the hulks were slipped, and the work 
went steadily on. But, in the meantime, they had been 
discovered ; a rocket from one of the forts shot into the 
ail', and then both opened a tremendous fire. The gal- 
lant men, however, paid no heed to it till their task was 
accomplished. 

It is said that Farragut threw his arms around Bell 
in delight, when he once more stepped safely on board 
his vessel. 

In the final passage. Bell led the second division in 
the Sciota. His vessel set fire to two steamers in her 
passage, and captured a third. She was the fourth in 
the attack and capture of the forts at the city of New 
Orleans on the 25th, and the third in passing up in 
front of the city. 

The victory having been won, he, on the 26th, hauled 
down his pennant, and repaired on board the Hartford 
to resume his duties as fleet captain. He gave Captain 
Donaldson of the ship, and his officers and crew great 
praise for their conduct while passing the forts. 



A SUBLBIE SPECTACLE. 527 

It is well known what an excitement followed tlie 
pulling down of the American flag from the custom- 
house, after it had been raised there by order of Far- 
ragut. The New Orleans papers praised the daring 
act, and Mumford, who had committed it, was regarded 
as a hero. As the surging multitude gazed on the rebel 
flag flying in its place, they declared that the man who 
attem23ted to haul it down should die. Knowing that 
some action would be taken in the matter, the crowd 
assembled in larse numbers in the immediate neio-hbor- 
hood of the custom-house ; and angry, savage faces 
scowled out from the turbulent mass, and oaths, and 
threats of ven2:eance filled all the air. In the midst of 
this excitement. Bell landed on the levee with two 
officers and a handful of marines, and took his course 
for the custom-house. The mob opened as he advanced, 
but closed up behind him, cursing him and his little 
band, and swearing that the moment a head appeared 
above the roof of the custom-house, a bullet would 
pierce it. But Bell, unmoved and erect, and like Abdiel 
amid the rebel angels, passed 

"Long way through hostile scorn, which lie sustained, 
Superior, nor of violence feared aught." 

Reaching the custom-house, he demanded the keys. 
They were given him ; but every one refused to show 
him the way to the roof. He then stationed his little 
band in front of the building, and taking one of his 
officers and his coxswain, groped his way along the 
passage, and finally mounted to the roof. In the mean- 
while, the excited multitude below watched the roof 
of the building, to see if he dared to show his head 
above it. As it appeared above the oj^ening a deep 



52S EEAE-ADMRAL HENRY II. BELL. 

murmur of vengeance rolled througli the streets. Slowly, 
and with a dignified carriage, as "became his solemn 
task. Bell rose to view, and his tall, commanding form 
stood in full relief against the sky. With no theatrical 
display — not even deigning a glance to the excited 
multitude below, thirsting for his blood — without haste, 
but calmly and slowly, he, with his own hands, lowered 
the rebel flag in sight of all, and hoisted the stars and 
stripes in its place. All expected to see a bullet pierce 
him, but the calm, dignified, fearless bearing of the 
man ; the sublimity of the scene as he stood there 
pencilled against the sky, overawed the angry passions 
of the mob, and breathless silence fell upon it. Here 
there was no excitement of the combat ; no clangor of 
trumpets, or shouts of men to brace up the nerves and 
stimulate to daring deeds ; nothing but love for the 
dear old flag, and of the honor of his country. Noth- 
ing could exceed the moral grandeur of the act — it would 
make a subject for a great picture. The national ships 
at the levee, with their guns bearing on the city ; the 
heaving, turbulent mass blocking all the streets; the 
little baiid of marines, with firm-set front, standing 
across the door-way ; the tall, erect form of Bell pic- 
tured against the sky from the top of the custom-house, 
as he slowly sends the national colors up the flagstaff, 
form a group of objects from which some artist will yet 
give us a great historical painting. 

When Bell descended again to the street, he quietly 
locked the door behind him, and putting the key in his 
pocket, placed himself at the head of his marines and 
marched back to his ship. 

When, in the June following, Farragut ran the bat- 
teries of Vicksburg, Bell stood on the poop by his side, 



SUCCEEDS FAKEAGUT. 529 

to direct tlie movements of tlie fleet, but the darkness 
and smoko soon sliut the vessels from his sight, and he 
could tell where they were only by the thunder of 
their broadsides, or their blaze as it illumined the 
gloom, and so gave his attention to looking up the 
batteries of the enemy, and pointing them out to the 
officers in charge of the guns, and directing where to fire. 

After the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson, Far- 
ragut, accepting a respite tendered him by the Govern- 
ment, turned over to Admiral Poi-ter the entire control 
of the western waters above New Orleans, and Bell, 
who had been made Commodore, was placed in com- 
mand of the squadron during his absence. 

His duties were now of the most arduous kind, 
though connected with no important movement in which 
he was personally engaged. His blockading fleet 
stretched with intervals from Mobile to Galveston. 
After dark, he always kept his ships on the move, so 
that blockade runners never knew where to find them. 
While off Galveston, he had the misfortune to lose the 
Hatteras — Blake commanding — which was sunk by the 
Alabama. He heard the cannonading, and saw the 
flashes of the combat, and hun-ied off in the Brooklyn 
in the direction from whence they came ; but could find 
no traces of either vessel until next morning when he 
saw the masts of the Hatteras standing out of the 
water, telling him of her fate. 

He detailed a portion of his force to cooperate 
with Banks in his movements against Brownsville, 
Brazos, Aranzas, and Cabello Passes. Commander J. 
H. Strong had charge of it, and received the thanks 
of Banks, and the commendations of the Govern- 
ment for the skill, ability, and energy with which 

34 



530 BEAR- ADMIRAL HEKRY H. BELL. 

he performed liis part in tlie expeditions. In storm and 
calm, under vexations, delays, and countless embarrass- 
ments, lie executed every task imposed on Mm. 

On FaiTagut's return to take command of the squad- 
ron, previous to tlie attack on tlie defences of Mobile, 
Bell was ordered north to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. 
Here his incessant labors, joined to the exposures on 
the Mississippi and off the coast, completely broke him 
down, and, for a while, his friends feared he had made 
his last cruise. But his health rallied in the bracing 
air 'of the Highlands at Newburg, and he gradually 
recovered his strength. 

With the old battered Hartford for his flagship, he 
now commands the Asiatic Squadron in the China seas, 
as Rear- Admiral. 

Admiral Bell is a man of dignified deportment, 
frank, genial, unassuming manners, and a kind, noble 
heart. A better officer, a more gallant man, or one 
more beloved by all who serve under him, never trod 
the deck of a battle ship. 

Between him and Farras^ut there exists the warmest 
affection and esteem. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

COMMODORE MELANCTHON SMITH. 

HIS BIRTH AND ANCESTRY. — EJJTEES THE NAVT. — HIS EARLY SERVICES. — COM- 
MANDS IN FLORIDA. — SENT TO THE GULF BLOCKADING SQUADRON IN 1861. — 
DRIVES THE ENEMY FROM SHIP ISLAND. — COMMANDS THE STEAMER MISSIS- 
SIPPI IN THE PASSAGE OF THE FORTS BELOW NEW ORLEANS. CAPTURES THE 

RAM MANASSAS. — LOSES HIS VESSEL IN PASSING POET HUDSON. HIS GAi- 

LANT CONDUCT. — TAKES PART IN THE SIEGE OF THE PLACE. — ON COURT- 
MARTIAL DUTY. — ORDERED NORTH. — ON PICKET DUTY IN THE JAMES RIVER. 
— COMMANDS IN THE NORTH CAROLINA SOUNDS. — BATTLE WITH THE RAM 
ALBEMARLE. — CAPTURES THE BOMBSHELL. — DIVISIONAL COMMANDER ON 
JAMES RIVER. — TAKES PART IN THE TWO ATTACKS ON FORT FISHER. — SUB- 
SEQUENT SERVICES. — PRESENT POSITION. 

Melai^cthon Smith was born in New York city, 
May 24tli, 1810. His fatlier, Fauquier Smith, was from 
Long Island, and liis mother, Cornelia Jones, daughter 
of Dr. Gardiner Jones, from New York city. His father 
served as colonel in the war of 1812, and commanded 
a fort at the battle of Plattsburg. Sidney Smith, Captain 
in the United States Navy, and his uncle, was in the 
naval battle that took place on Lake Champlain, at the 
same time, under McDonough. His grandfather, Hon. 
Melancthon Smith, was one of the most prominent 
political debaters of the day, and in 1777, was the first 
Sheriff of Dutchess County. In 1788, he represented 
this county in the convention which met at Pough- 



532 COMMODOEE JIELANCTHON SMITH. 

keepsie, to take into consideration the Constitution of 
the United States, wkicli had been j^repared tlie year 
before in Pliiladelpliia. He was one of tlie most promi- 
nent debaters in tkat convention, and cliief antagonist 
of Alexander Hamilton. 

Tlie subject of tlie present sketch, having received 
an academic education, entered the navy March 1st, 
1826. 

His first service was on board the frigate Brandy- 
wine, from which he was transferred to the sloop-of war 
Vincennes. In 1830, he was sent to the naval school 
of New York ; but the next year ordered to the frigate 
Potomac, in which he served but little over a month, 
when he was ordered to the Navy Yard of Brooklyn. 
In 1832 he received his warrant as passed midshij)man, 
and joined the sloopof-war St. Louis ; but in the follow- 
ing winter was detached from her and sent to the Navy 
Yard at Pensacola. The following year, however, he 
was ordered to the schooner Porpoise, and then to the 
sloop Vaudalia, in which he served till 1837. The next 
year he was, for a short time, on duty in the Navy Yard 
at New York, from which he was transferred, in 1836, 
to the sloop-of- war Natchez, in which he served as sail- 
ing master. The same year he received his warrant as 
master in tlie navy, and the following year was pro- 
moted to lieutenant, in which capacity he served in the 
sloop Vandalia, till 1838. In 1839, he was attached to 
the steamer Poinsett, and a part of the time commanded 
a fort, and a twenty-oared barge on the Miami River, 
Florida. 

The next year he was stationed in the Navy Yard at 
New York; but from 1841 to 1843, served on board 
the Fairfield and Preble, when he was ordered to the 



CAPTURES THE MANNASSAS. 533 

store-ship Erie. He remained here a year, and during 
the following year was, part of the time, on the Van- 
dalia and Colonel Harney, and a part of the time 
executive officer of the Pensacola Navy Yard. From 
1848 to 1855 he served, first on the frigate Constitution, 
and then on the Potomac, as executive officer. Being 
promoted to commander in 1855, he was detached from 
the latter vessel, and two years after ordered on special 
duty as light-house inspector; which position he held 
until just before the breaking out of the rebellion. In 
May, 1861, he was ordered to the Gulf Blockading 
Squadron, and in the following September moved 
against Ship Island with the steamer Massachusetts, 
when the rebels fired the barracks, destroyed the light- 
house lantern, and escaped to the mainland. He had 
an engagement also with some Confederate steamers, but 
his first serious action was in the passage of the forts 
below New Orleans. He commanded the steamer Mis 
sissippi in this terrific encounter, and received ten shots 
eicrht Q:oinQ' clean throuo-h the vessel, woundina: six of 
her crew. Seeing the ram Manassas, he signalled for 
permission to attack her. Farragut granting it, he 
boldly made for her. The ram advancing to the contest, 
struck the steamer, inflicting a severe damage below 
the water line. The monster in return received a ter- 
rific broadside from the heavy guns of the Mississippi, 
which carried away her smoke-stack, and crashed 
through her mailed sides with such awful power, that 
the crew ran her ashore and fled in affright. Smith 
immediately boarded her, but finding his machinery so 
disabled that he could not take her in tow, and a 
steamer on fire drifting down on him, he recalled his 
boats after setting her on fire. He then riddled her 



534 COMMODOEE MELANCTIION SMITH. 

with shotj when she swung loose from the bank, and 
drifting below the forts, blew uj) with a tremendous 
explosion. He afterwards passed up the river, and en 
gaged, with other vessels, the batteries above. 

His next important engagement, was in the temble 
passage of Port Hudson, in which he lost his ship. A 
full account of this, together with a description of his 
gallant bearing on the occasion, are given in the sketch 
of Farragut. Nothing could test his great qualities as 
a commander, more than the trying position in which 
he found himself here, when his vessel grounded in 
twenty-three feet of water, right under the concentrated 
fire of the hostile batteri.?s. When, after the most 
desperate efforts, it became evident that she could not 
be made to float again, and the rebel shells were burst- 
ing in and around her, the cool manner in which, with 
lighted cigar, he removed his crew to the boats, and 
then set fire to her, showed that no danger or adversity 
could shake his steady nerves. He felt keenly, how- 
ever, the loss of his noble vessel. A man loves the 
good steed which has once carried him right gallantly 
and safely through a deadly struggle ; but a sailor has 
a still warmer aftection for his ship, whose heavy broad- 
sides have spoken at his command, and which has borne 
his flag triumphantly through a great combat. No 
wonder then his heart was filled with sadness, when 
he saw his noble vessel perish before his eyes. The 
manner of her death, too, apj^ealed strongly to his 
sympathies. When relieved from the weight of her 
crew, she again floated, and swinging slowly down 
stream, brought her other broadside to bear. Her guns, 
heated by the raging flames, soon began to go ofl', as 
if still remembering her old commander, and thundered 



FIGHTS THE ALBEMARLE. 535 

away in stern response to tlie rebel batteries. A pyramid 
of flame, slie towered grandly through the gloom, and 
drifting with the current, moved majestically past him. 
He watched her blazing form lighting up the bosom 
of the stream, the banks, and the murky heavens, till 
Prophet's Island shut her from view. A few minutes 
more he could trace her course by the illumination 
made by her burning hull, and then came a deafening 
explosion that shook the shores, followed by utter dark- 
ness, that told him that his noble ship was sleeping 
beneath the waters of the mighty river Vv^hose name she 
bore. 

He was afterwards given the command of the Monon- 
gahela, and joined in the attack on Port Hudson, from 
the 1st to the 20th of June. In January, he was on a 
court of inquiry, to investigate the " Galveston matter," 
relating to the failure to capture the Harriet Lane. He 
was afterwards transferred east, to the North Atlantic 
Blockading Squadron. Here, in the Onondaga, he was 
on picket duty for some time, and cooj^erated with 
General Butler in the movement of troops at Dutch 
Gap and Deep Bottom. But the ram Albemarle in the 
Sounds of North Carolina seriously threatening the exist- 
ence of our squadron there, Lee sent him down to look 
after her. The ram, having previously sunk the South- 
field, now came out again to renew her attack, when 
Smith, with his little squadron, boldly advanced to 
meet her. 

The followinof is his account of the ens^ai^ement : 

"The ram Albemarle, steamer Cotton-Plant, with 
troops, and the armed steamer Bombshell, laden with 
provisions and coal, came out of Roanoke Biver to-day 
at two o'clock, p. M., and, after being tolled ten miles 



536 COMMODOKE MELANCTnON SMITH. 

down tlie sound by the picket force left to guard the 
entrauce of tlie river, the Mattabesett, Wyalusing, Sas- 
sacus, and Wliiteliead, got under way and stood up to 
engage tliem ; the smaller boats falling into position in 
accordance with the enclosed programme. 

The engagement commenced at 4.40, by the ram 
firing the first gun, which destroyed the Mattabesett's 
launch and wounded several men. The second shot cut 
away some of the standing and running rigging. At 
4.45, the Bombshell surrendered to the Mattabesett, and 
was ordered to fall in our wake ; at 4.50, fired a broad- 
side into the ram at a distance of one hundred and fifty 
yards ; at 5.50, the Sassacus delivered her fire in jjassing 
and then rammed his stern, 230uring in a broadside at 
ithe same time. The Sassacus was seen soon afterwards 
-enveloped with steam, when she hauled off, evidently 
disabled. The colors of the ram at this moment came 
down, and it was some time before it was ascertained 
whether he had surrendered, or they had been shot 
away. During the contact, it was, of course, impossible 
•for the other vessels to fire ; but when the Sassacus 
became disengaged, and resumed her firing, the engage- 
ment became general ; the smaller vessels firing so rapid- 
ly, that it was dangerous for the larger ones to apj^roach ; 
and they appeared also to l)e ignorant of all signals, as 
they answered without obeying them. The engagement 
continued until about T.SO, when, it becoming dark, the 
Commodore Hull and Ceres were then sent ahead to 
keep the ram in sight, and to remain on picket duty off 
the mouth of the Roanoke River, if he succeeded in 
entering it ; the Mattabesett, Wyalusing, Miami, and 
Whitehead, coming to anchor in the sound, two miles 
>and a half below. Eight torpedoes had been furnished 



TUE RESULT. 537 

by the army, and an attempt was made last niglit to 
place them in the mouth of the river ; the entrance l^eing 
watched, it was found imj)racticable. Another effort 
was made to-day at two o'clock, p. m., when the ram 
was discovered two miles above, on his way out. Dur- 
ino^ the enQ:aQ:ement, a seine was laid out across the 
ram's bow, in obedience to orders, to try and foul his 
propeller, but he passed over it without injury. A 
torpedo was rigged out from the bow of the Miami, and 
she was ordered to go ahead and attempt to explode it, 
but, from some cause yet unexplained, it was not done. 
She ran up, however, sheered off, and delivered her 
broadside, and continued to fire at him rapidly. The 
injuries sustained by the ram are thought to be con- 
siderable, but his motive-power is evidently uninjured. 
His boats were knocked off from the decks, and his 
stack riddled, and it is also believed that one of his 
guns was disabled. The ram is certainly very formi- 
dable. He is fast for that class of vessel, making ft'om 
six to seven knots, turns quickly, and is armed with 
heavy guns, as is proved by the 100-pounder Brooks 
projectile that entered and lodged in the Mattabesett, 
and 100-pounder Whitworth shot received by the Wya- 
lusing, while the shot fired at him were seen to strike 
fire upon the casemates and hull, flying upwards and 
falling into the water without having had any percep- 
tible effect upon the vessel. I had tried the effect of 
ramming (as suggested by the Department) in the case 
of the Sassacus, and was deterred from repeating the 
experiment by the injury she had sustained, and a sig- 
nal from the Wyalusiug that she was sinking, which, if 
the latter had been correct, (and I was not informed to 
the contrary until after the vessels came to anchor,) 



538 COMMODORE MELAINCTHON SMITH. 

would have left too small a force of efficient vessels to 
keep the control of the sound, which I now hold, and 
shall be able to maintain against any rebel force that 
they will be able to organize at this point, when present 
damages are repaired. I am convinced that side-wheel 
steamers cannot be laid alongside of the Albemarle, 
without totally disabling their wheels, which is the 
reason for not adopting the suggestion contained in your 
order to me of the 23d instant. It is reported that the 
rebel barges with troops Avere at the mouth of the 
Croatan River, ready to come out, and a 'Steamer was 
seen in that direction ; but in regard to the first I have 
no positive information." 

Lieutenant Commander Roe, of the Sassacus, also 
struck the ram, and gives the following account of the 
collision : 

"As the Mattabesett had passed around the stern 
of the ram, and was heading down the sound again, the 
ram had turned partially round with a port-helm, and 
now lay broadside to me. As the Sassacus had been 
drawn off some little distance by her operations and 
capture of the Bombshell, she had a good distance to 
get headway ; and, seeing the favorable moment before 
me, I ordered full steam and open throttle, and laid the 
ship fair for the broadside of the ram to run her down. 
The Sassacus struck her fairly just abaft her starboard 
beam in the position of the rear of the house or case- 
mate, with a speed of nine to ten knots, making twenty- 
two revolutions with thirty pounds of steam. As I 
struck, she sent a 100-pounder rifle shot through and 
through, from starboard bow to port-side, on the berth- 
deck. 

" The collision was pretty heavy, and the ram 



LIEUTENANT EOe's ACCOUNT. 539 

careened a good deal — so mucli so that the water 
washed over her deck forward and aft the casemate. 
At one time I thouglit she was going down ; I kept 
the engine going, pushing, as I hoped, deeper and 
deeper into her, and also hoping it might be possible 
for some one of the boats to get up on the opposite 
side of me, and perhaj^s enable us to sink her, or at 
least to get well on to her on all sides ; I retained this 
position full ten minutes, throwing gi-enades down her 
deck-hatch, and trying in vain to get powder into her 
smoke-stack, and receiving volleys of musketry, when 
the stern of the ram began to go round, and her broad- 
side-port bearing on our starboard bow, when the ram 
fired and sent a 100-pounder Brooks rifle shot through 
the starboard side on the berth-deck, passing through 
the empty bunkers into the starboard boiler, clean 
through it fore and aft, and finally lodging in the w^ard- 
room. In a moment the steam filled every portion of 
the ship, from the hurricane-deck to the fire-rooms, kill- 
ing some, stifling some, and rendering all movement for 
a time impossible. When the steam cleared away so I 
could look around me, I saw my antagonist was away 
from me, and steaming ofl^. In the meantime the engine 
was going, as no one could do anything below, some 
sixteen men being scalded. I then j^ut the helm hard 
a-port, headed up the sound, and around to the land, 
in order to clear the field for the other boats. Soon as 
the steam cleared up, and the effect of the explosion 
was over, the oflacers and men immediately went to the 
guns, and kept them going upon the enemy until we 
drifted out of range. I tried to ricochet several 9-inch 
shot, so that she might be struck on her bottom by the 
upward bound of the shot, but I had the mortification 



540 COJIMODORE MELANCTHON SMITH. 

to see every shot strike tlie water inside of lier, and rise 
on the oj^posite side of her. While alongside of her, 
and almost simultaneous with the fatal shot of the 
enemy, Acting-Ensign Mayer sent a 100-pounder solid 
shot at her port, which broke into fragments, one of 
which rebounded and fell on our deck, as did also some 
fragments of grenades. While thus together, I fired 
three separate shots into one of her ports ; we clearly 
observed the muzzles of two of her guns broken very 
badly. After the separation of the two vessels, the Sas- 
sacus was finally headed down the sound, and continued 
to move very slowly, working on a vacuum, and finally 
sto23ped, when I dropped anchor. In the meantime the 
Mattabesett and Wyalusing gallantly went in, and the 
fight was nobly maintained by those vessels." 

The other vessels joined in the engagement, l3ut 
their shot seemed to have but little eftect on the ram. 

Smith lost eight in killed and wounded, while Roe, 
on the Sassacus, had some twenty scalded by the escap- 
ing steam. 

Smith, in a subsequent report, states that Lieutenant 
Roe was mistaken as to the speed he was going when 
he struck the ram ; also, that he overrated the injury 
he had done her, especially her guns. 

In July, 1864, he returned to the James River, and 
was made divisional officer, with the Onondaga as his 
flagship. In October, he was transferred to the frigate 
Wabash, in which vessel he participated in both of the 
attacks on Fort Fisher. In the last one he had eleven 
killed and wounded, besides those lost in the storming 
party furnished by his vessel. In 1865, he was detached 
from the Wabash, and during a part of the year was 
engaged on court-martial duty In July, of this year. 



PEESENT POSITION". 541 

lie was appointed Executive Officer of the Navy Depart- 
ment at Washington, and tlie same montli promoted to 
Commodore. In September, 1866, lie was appointed 
Chief of the Bureau of Equipment and Recruiting in the 
Navy Dej)artment, which position, we believe, he at 
present holds. 



CHAPTEE XXVII. 

COMMODORE JOHN RODGERS. 

niS NATITITT.- -ENTERS THE NAVY. — AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE WAR 
SENT WEST TO SUPERINTEND THE BUILDING OF IRON-CLADS. — PLACED IN 
COMMAND OF THE GALENA. — FIGHT AT DRURT's ELUFF. — COMMANDS THE 
WEEHAWKEN. — ATTACK ON FORT SUMTER. — CAPTURES THE ATLANTA. — 
COMPLIMENTARY LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY. 

Commodore Rodgees is a native of Maryland, but was 
appointed to the navy from the District of Columbia, of 
Avhich he is a resident. He entered the service as mid- 
shipman in April, 1825, at the age of sixteen. His first 
cruise was in the frigate Constellation, of which his father. 
Commodore John Kodgers, was first lieutenant in 
the capture of the French frigates Insurgent and Incon- 
stant. In the Florida war he was in command of several 
small vessels successively, and spent many months in the 
everglades in log canoes, carrying his own provision and 
bedding. It was a rough service — the alligators fre- 
quently pulling the blankets off from him and his men 
while asleep. In returning from Florida his vessel was 
half dismasted in a squall, and run mto beside by one 
of his consorts, yet he by his skill and coolness saved 
her from shipwreck. 

He afterwards performed important service on the 



PLACED IN COMMAND OF THE GALENA. 543 

coast survey. His vessel, the Hetzel, having got aground 
and eventually left a wreck, he transferred his party to 
the Petrel. 

In 1853 he served in the North Pacific Surveying 
and Exploring Expedition. Kinggold, the commander, 
falling sick, Rodgers took command of the surveying 
squadron, and iii the Vincennes boldly pushed into the 
Arctic regions, and continued his explorations there until 
his provisions were nearly exhausted. 

At the breaking out of the war he was sent under 
Admiral Paulding to assist in • destroying the Norfolk 
Navy Yard. While engaged in blowing up the dry 
docks, he with General Wright was left behind and 
taken prisoner. They were, however, treated Avell, and 
afterwards sent to Alexandria, He was subsequently 
sent West to assist in the building of an iron-clad fleet, 
in which he exhibited the enterprise and skill which dis- 
tinguish him. He was afterwards ordered to the block- 
ading squadron off Charleston, and acted as aid to Du- 
pont in the battle of Port Royal, and was the first to 
land and plant the flag on the forts. He afterwards 
took possession of Tybee Island, the base of operations 
asfainst Fort Pulaski. 

a 

Plaving done such good service here, he was given 
the command of the Galena, one of the three first armored 
vessels built on the Atlantic coast, and sent to Hampton 
Roads. As in one of these, the Monitor, Worden had tested 
their power of resistance in combat with another mailed 
vessel, so he noAV was to prove their strength in conflict 
with shore batteries, and in May, 1863, steamed up the 
James River to engage Fort Darling. If this could be 
silenced the obstructions above could be removed, and 
our war vessels pass up to within a short distance of 



544 COMMODORE JOHN llOBGEES. 

Kichmond. He had with him the Aroostook, the 
Monitor, Port Royal, and Naugatuck. The wooden 
vessels anchored thirteen hundred yards below, while the 
Galena ran up to within about six hundred yards, and let 
go her anchor, and with a spring swung across the stream, 
which here was not more than twice as wide as the ship 
was lono-. The Monitor also anchored near her, and the 
commander, Lieutenant Jeffers, gallantly engaged the 
batteries, but found it impossible to elevate his guns suf- 
ficiently to make them eifective until he dropped farther 
down stream. The Galena, being unable to change her 
position in the narrow river, became a stationary target 
for the Rebel guns mounted on Drury's Bluff, and hence 
took a terrible pounding. The heavy shot coming from 
so great a height fell with tremendous power, while the 
sharp-shooters picked off every man that showed his 
head. Yet Rogers lay here motionless for nearly four 
hours, exposed to this plunging fire. In that time he lost 
twenty-four men killed and wounded, while thirteen shot 
and shell pierced the iron armor of his vessel, shattering 
her bulwarks and starting the seams in her side and 
deck. 

Rodgers held on in his desperate position until he had 
but six Parrott charges left, and not a single filled nine- 
inch shell. 

He was afterward placed in command of the Weehaw- 
ken, and ordered to bring her from New York around to 
Fortress Monroe. Although the pilots attempted to dis- 
suade him from starting, predicting bad weather, he 
determined to go, wishing to test the sea-going qualities 
of the vessel. When two days out he encountered a ter- 
rific gale, and Rodgers, cutting the line that united his 
vessel to the tug Boardman, determined to ride out the 



COMMANDS THE WEEIIAWKEN". 545 

storm alone. Captain Case, who was convoying him in 
the Iroquois, then offered to tow him; but Rodgers de- 
clined the proffered aid. Case, however, would not leave 
him, and stood nobly by him through all the fearful night 
that followed. Lashed by the tempest the waves rose 
thirty feet high, and poured in such wild torrents over 
the shuddering vessel that no one could go on deck to 
heave either log or lead. In a private letter to his father- 
in-law describing the gale he said : "I stood on the turret 
and -watched her movements with great interest. '•' ''' •"*' 
No boat from the Iroquois could have lived, for she was 
rolling her guns under ; our fate, therefore, depended on 
the safety of our own vessel. The waves swept over the 
deck with great violence, an iron plate two inches thick 
and eleven feet long, weighing three thousand pounds, was 
broken loose from its lashings and carried forty feet 
against the iron stanchions, and another plate, as much 
as two men could slide along the deck, was lifted and 
thrown upon some kedges. "We could neither throw the 
loo; nor sound, as no one could live on the deck to do 
either." 

It was a fearful night, and a commander never wit- 
nessed a more appalling sight than that Avhich met the 
eyes of Rodgers as he stood on the top of the turret, and. 
watched the great angry black waves fall one after 
another with the sound of thunder over the shivering 
deck, burying it from sight and surging up around him 
until the spray swept like a driving rain over his high 
perch. 

He was delighted with the behavior of his vessel, and 
brought her safely into port, though lealdng badly. 

In the following April the Weehawken formed part 
of the iron-clad fleet in the attack on Fort Sumter. The 

35 



546 COMMODORE JOHN EODGEES. 

raft with the torpedo which was to blow up the obstruc- 
tions was attached to her, and impeded very much her 
movements. It proved useless, yet, crippled as he was 
with this bungling apparatus, Rodgers boldly laid his ves- 
sel alongside of the rebel batteries, and was struck fifty- 
three times, withdrawing from the horrible fire only as he 
saw the signal to do so. 

In the following June, Rodgers distinguished himself 
by capturing the rebel ram Atlanta. This vessel, some- 
times called the Fingal, ran the blockade of Savannah a 
few days after the forts of Port Royal were taken, and 
was now ready to attempt a j^assage by Wilmington River 
into Warsaw Sound, and attack our blockading vessels 
there as well as those farther south. To prevent this 
dancrerous movement Rodo;ers in the Weehawken and 
-Downes in the Nahant were despatched to look after 
her. 

A little after daylight on the 7th of June Rodgers 
saw this formidable iron-clad coming down at the mouth 
of Wilmington River, accompanied by two other steamers. 
He immediately beat to quarters and cleared for action . In 
.a few minutes the boY\r of his vessel was pointing toward 
the Atlanta, followed by the Nahant. When about a 
mile and a half distant the Atlanta fired a rifle-shot 
which passed across the stern of the Weehawken. The 
hostile vessel at this time was lying across the stream 
waiting the approach of Rodgers, who kept silently and 
steadily on, determined to waste no time or ammunition 
in firing at long range. At a quarter past five, being 
rthen within three hundred yards, he commenced firing — 
planting his huge shot with an accuracy probably never 
before equalled in a naval combat. The first, a 15-inch 
cored shot, broke with a crash through the iron plating 



CAPTURES THE ATLANTA. 54:1 

and wooden backing, strewing the deck with splinters, 
knocking down forty men by the concussion, and wound- 
ing several others with the broken iron and shivered tim- 
bers it hurled on every side. Making a hole nearly four 
feet in circumference, it was as if the head of a barrel had 
been driven through the side of the vessel, and caused 
consternation among the crew. 

The second, an 11-inch solid shot, broke some of the 
iron plates. The third, a 15-inch cored shot, struck like 
a falling rock the pilot-house, knocking it into fragments, 
and killing two pilots and stunning the men at the wheel. 
The fourth struck a port stopper in the centre, breaking 
it in two and drivino- the frao-ments throus-h into the ves- 
sel. Appalled at the destructive power of these enor- 
mous shot, before v/hich his iron-clad became no more than 
a wooden vessel, the rebel commander hauled down his 
flag. It was all over in fifteen minutes. So quickly did 
Rodgers do his work that Downes in the Nahant, though 
steaming gallantly forward to join the combat, was too 
late to share it. 

The Atlanta had a crew of over a hundred and fifty 
men, of which sixteen were wounded. 

It was a great victory, and, had the battle been a long 
and doubtful one, would have made the land echo with 
applause. But Rodgers did his work so quickly, the 
public could not feel that it had required much effort. 
Not so, however, with the Department. This iron-clad 
had caused it much anxiety ; and when it heard that she 
was not only overpowered, but in good condition for effi- 
cient service in our own navy, it was highly gratified and 
sent the following complimentary letter to Rodgers. 
After speaking of the engagement of the Monitor v/ith 
the Merrimac, the Secretary of the Navy says : 



548* LETTER FROM SECRETARY OF THE NAVY. 

"Your connection with the Mississippi flotilla, and your 
participation in the projection and construction of the first 
iron-clads on the western waters — your heroic conduct in 
the attack on Drury's Bluff — the high moral courage that 
led you to put to sea in the Weehawken upon the ap- 
proach of a \dorent stonn, in order to test the sea-going 
qualities of these ncAV craft, at the time when a safe an- 
chorage was close under your lee — the brave and daring 
manner in which you, with your associates, pressed the 
iron-clads under the concentrated fire of the batteries m 
Charleston harbor, and there tested and proved the en- 
durance and resisting power of these vessels, and your 
crowning, successful achievement in the capture of the 
Fingal, alias Atlanta, are all proofs of a skill, and cour- 
age, and devotion to the country and the cause of the 
Union, regardless of self, that cannot be permitted to 
pass unrewarded. To your heroic daring and persistent 
moral courage, beyond that of any other individual, is 
the country indebted for the development, under trying 
and varied circumstances on the ocean, under enormous 
batteries on land, and in successful rencontre with a 
formidable floating antagonist, of the capabilities and 
qualities of attack and resistance of the monitor class of 
vessels and theu^ heavy armament. For these heroic and 
serviceable acts I have presented your name to the Presi- 
dent, requesting him to recommend that Congress give 
you a vote of thanks, in order that you may be advanced 
to the grade of commodore in the American navy." 

Soon after this great victory, Rodgers was detached 
from the Weehawken. Next winter she went down in 
a gale in Charleston harbor. He subsequently com- 
manded the Dictator. 

* The lapse of twenty pages after 548 is accounted for by the omission to number the 
illustrations in their order. See list of illustrations. 



CHAPTER XXVm. 

REAK-ADMIRAL THOMAS T. CRAVEN. 

There are some rear-admirals whose biographies arc not 
given in the foregoing sketches, not, as remarked in the 
preface, because they are inferior in any of the great 
qualities that distinguish our naval commanders, but be- 
cause their services happened to be of a kind during the 
war which possess but little interest to the public. Others 
have attained their rank by seniority. Among the latter 
is Admiral Craven. He distinguished himself, however, 
as commander of the Brooklyn, m the passage of the 
forts below New Orleans, of which he gives the following 
account : 

" In consequence of the darkness of the night and the 
blinding smoke, I lost sight of your ship, and when follow- 
ing in the line of what I supposed to be your fire, I sud- 
denly found the Brooklyn running over one of the hulks 
and rafts which sustained the chain barricade of the river. 
For a few moments I was entangled and fell athwart the 
stream, our bow grazing the shore on the left bank of the 
river. "While in this situation I received a pretty severe 
fire from Fort St. Philip. Immediately after extricating 
ray ship from the rafts, her head was turned up stream, 
and a few minutes thereafter she was feebly butted by the 
celebrated ram Manassas. She came butting into our 
starboard gangway, first firing from her trap-door, Avhen 



570 EEAK-ADMIEAL THOMAS T. CEAYElJf. 

within about ten feet of the ship, directly towards our 
smoke-stack, her shot entering about five feet above the 
water-line and lodging in the sand-bags which protected 
our steam-drum. I had discovered this queer-looking 
gentleman, while forcing my way over the barricade, lying- 
close into the bank, and when he made his appearance the 
second time I was so close to him that he had not an 
opportunity to get up his full speed, and his efforts to 
damage me were completely frustrated, our chain armor 
proving a perfect protection to our sides. He soon slid 
off and disappeared in the darkness. A few moments 
thereafter, being all the time under a raking fire from 
Fort Jackson, I was attacked by a large rebel steamer. 
Our port broadside, at the short distance of only fifty or 
sixty yards, completely finished him, setting him on fire 
almost instantaneously. 

" Still groping my way in the dark, or under the black 
cloud of smoke from the fire raft, I suddenly found myself 
abreast of St. Philip, and so close that the leadsman in 
the starboard chains gave the soundings "thirteen feet, 
sir." As we could bring all our guns to bear, for a fev/ 
briefmoments we poured in grape and canister, and I had 
the satisfaction of completely silencing that work before I 
left it — my men in the tops witnessmg, in the flashes of 
their bursting shrapnells, the enemy running like sheep 
for more comfortable quarters. 

"After passing the forts we engaged several of the 
enemy's gunboats ; and being at short range — generally 
from sixty to a hundred yards — the effects of our broad- 
sides must have been terrific. This ship was under fire 
about one hour and a half. We lost eight men killed, and 
had twenty-six wounded, and our damages from the 
enemy's shot and shell are severe." 



HEAE- ADMIRALS. 5 T 1 

He afterwards commanded the Niagara, which cap- 
tured the rebel privateer Georgia after she had been turn- 
ed into a British merchantman. Born in the District of 
Cokimbia, he entered the navy in 1822, and hence has 
been in the service over forty years. He is distinguished 
as a gallant, able commander. 



REAR-ADMIRAL CHARLES II. BELL 

commanded most of the time during the war the Pacific 
squadron, and although his position was an important one 
to the country it afforded no opportunity for him to dis- 
tinguish himself. A native of New York State, he enter- 
ed the navy in the opening of the war of 1812, and hence 
at the beginning of the rebellion had been nearly fifty 
years in the service. Although on the retired list, he near 
the close of the war was put in command of the Navy 
Yard at New York. 



REAR-ADMIRAL GEORGE F. PEARSON, 

who succeeded him in the command of the Pacific 
squadron, was most of the time stationed at the Ports- 
mouth navy yard, and hence took little part in active 
operations afloat. He succeeded in 1864 in capturing a 
gang of desperadoes under the leadership of an officer of 
the rebel navy, who had embarked in disguise on board of 
the steamship San Salvador at Panama for the purpose of 
seizing her, and then capture treasure-ships, and prey on 
our commerce in the Pacific Ocean. For this he received 
the thanks of the secretary of the navy. The officer who 
had direct charo;e of the business was Commander H. K. 



572 KEAE-ADMIEALS. 

Davenport. A native of New Hampshire, he entered the 
navy in 1814, and hence has been over half a century in 
the service. 

REAR-ADMIRAL SYLVANUS GODON 

has won his way up by meritorious service, having dis- 
tinguished himself in the first great naval combat of the 
war — the capture of Port Royal by Dupont, and in the last 
action, the bombardment of Fort Fisher, in which as 
Commodore he commanded a division under Porter. A 
thorough officer and a gallant man, it is not his fault that 
he never won renown as the leader of a great expedition. 
Born in Pennsylvania, he entered the service in 1819. 
At the close of the war he was given the command of the 
Brazilian squadron. 



REAR-ADMIRAL LARDNER 

for ja while conlmanded the gulf blockading squadron, but 
fell lick under his exposure and hard labor, and was suc- 
ceed sd by Admiral Bailey. He afterwards commanded 
in tl ;e James River, and subsequently was placed over the 
"West India squadron, and continued to command it till 
near the close of the war, when it was broken up by the 
Department. A native of Pennsylvania, he entered the 
service in 1819, and now, under the law which limits the 
term of service afloat to 47 years, is on the retired list. 



REAR- ADMIRAL GREGORY, 

who died during the last year at the advanced age of 
seventy-six, was a native of New Haven, and entered the 



EEAR-ADMIEALS. 573 

service in 1800. He distinguished himself in the war of 
1812, and was taken prisoner and impressed into the 
English service, but soon effected his escape. His name 
was prominent before the public in the celebrated Amistad 
case, in which he rescued a cargo of Africans from a 
slaver, and brought them to this country, where they 
were subsequently released, and returned to their homes 
by the Government. On the breaking out of the rebellion, 
although he had reached his threescore and ten, he hastened 
to Washington to offer his services to the Government. 
He was given charge of the construction of all the gun- 
boats built in New York and Brooklyn, and took great 
interest in the building of the first monitor at Greenpoint. 
He was subsequently charged with the supervision of the 
East in connection with Commodore Hull. He was an 
able officer and universally beloved. 



EEAR-ADMIRAL WILLIAM RADFORD 

was another Southerner by birth, who maintained his 
loyalty when so many went over to the Confederacy. Born 
in Virginia, he entered the navy in 1825, and hence had 
been in the service about thirty years when the war broke 
out. With the new Ironsides as his flag-ship, he com- 
manded the ironclad division in the attack on Fort Fisher. 
He now commands the navy yard at Washington. 

There are several others on the retired list, all gallant 
officers, the notice of whom, however, does not come with- 
in the scope of this work, which has to do only with 
those who took an active part in the recent war. Their 
record belongs to a naval history in which their names will 
hold a conspicuous place. 



574 COMIIODOEES. 



COMMODORE HENRY WALKE. 

What has been said of the admirals would apply also 
to our commodores, excepting that most of the latter won 
their rank for gallant services under other commanders, in 
the biographies of whom a detailed account of those serv- 
ices is given. 

A separate sketch of these, therefore, to be lengthy, 
would require a recapitulation of what has been said 
previously, and could not have been omitted in an account 
of the events narrated. Among these. Commodore 
Walke stands conspicuous. 

His first command was the Tyler, a wooden gunboat 
constantly on duty between Cairo and Columbus, pro- 
tecting our pickets and advanced posts. This boat, with 
the Lexington, conveyed the transports which carried the 
troops under Grant and McClernand to Belmont, and, 
after the battle, covered their embarkation. He also boldly 
advanced against the batteries, and for some time took 
their concentrated fire. His boat and the Lexington 
doubtless saved the crowded transports, in the retreat, from 
destruction. 

He was soon afterwards transferred to the ironclad 
Carondelet, and took a prominent part in the attack on 
Fort Henry — his vessel firing over a hundred shots. His 
bold diversion in favor of Grant, and single-handed fight 
with Fort Donaldson, are mentioned in the sketch of Ad- 
miral Foote. In the subsequent fight his vessel suffered 
severely — having her wheel-house shot away, her rudder 
broken, and over thirty of her crew Idlled and wounded. 
This however was the first gunboat to take possession of 
the enemies' works ; and it being Sunday when the sur- 



CAPTAm PERCIVAL DRAYTON. 575 

render was made, Captain Walke had divine service on 
board for the purpose of publicly thanking God for the 
great victory. Foote wrote a warm letter to the Depart- 
ment, eulogizmg Walke highly and urging his promotion. 
But the passage of the batteries of Island No. 10 at mid- 
night, in the midst of a terrible thunder-storm, a full des- 
cription of which is given in the sketch of Admiral Foote, 
was the great act that distinguished him during this war. 
In this he stands out in all the sublime, grand proportions 
of a true hero, and will ever be held up as a model to be 
studied by our young naval officers. So also much 
might be said of 



COMMODORE JAMES ALDEN, 

who, in the Brooklyn, was appointed to lead the fleet in 
the passage of Fort Morgan, and joined in the bombard- 
ment of Fort Fisher ; but these services are mentioned in 
other places. 

Commodores James McKinstrt, Oliver S. Glisson, 
Augustus H. Kilty, John B. Marchand, Wm. Eodgers 
Taylor, Benjamin F. Sands, Daniel B. Bidgely, and 
others, stand high in the roll of honor, and have received 
the warm commendation of their superiors. 



CAPTAIN PERCIVAL DRAYTON. 

Most of the present captains in the navy have won 
their rank by gallant services in the various engagements 
which have been described in the sketches of those com- 
manders who fought them. Captain Drayton, had he 
lived, would, doubtless, have received by this time a 



576 CAPTALNS STEONG AND LE EOY. 

high rank. A South Carolinian by birth, he, neverthe- 
less, stood nobly by the old flag, and in his first action — 
that of Port Koyal — hurled his shot against the fort 
commanded by his own brother. He served with dis- 
tinction under Dupont, who sent him to Fernandina 
and the adjacent waters to complete the conquest of the 
Southern coast. In such high estimation was he held, 
that Farargut selected him to command his flag-ship — 
the Hartford — when he forced the entrance to the harbor 
of Mobile. 

There are always some oflicers who, from oversight or 
neglect, fail to get the promotion they deserve. How 
many in our navy stand in this category we are unable 
to say, but one or two, we are certain, ought to feel them- 
selves hardly used, and among them Captain James H. 
Strong. Few were more constantly on duty or oftener 
under fire than he, and, as commander of the naval force 
that co-operated with General Banks, in his movement 
against Texas, he won the commendation of that general 
as well as of the commodore of the fleet. But the act 
which, in any navy in the world, would have secured his 
promotion, was his daring attack, single-handed, of the 
ram Tennessee, after he had passed Fort Morgan. Before 
Farragut had signalled the fleet to ram her, he wheeled 
out of line and ran with a full head of steam on straight 
into the ironclad monster, crushing in his own bows fear- 
fiiUy. Battered and broken, he wheeled again and drove 
his shattered bow a second time into her, while the shot 
tore through his decks. It was a gallant deed, and 
should have secured his promotion to commodore in the 
final action on the merit roll. 

The same might be said of Wm. Le Rot, who was the 
last to strike the ram, and received her surrender. 



Statement of vessels captured and destroyed far violation of the hlocTcade^ or 
in lattle, from May, 1861, to May, 1SG5, from the Official Report of the 
Secretary of the Navy. 



Schooner. 

Ship 

Schooner. 
Schooner . 
Schooner. 

Ship 

Brig 

Sloop 

Schooner. 
Schooner. 

Brig 

Schooner . 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner . 
Schooner. 
Brig 



Schooner . 
Schooner. 
Schooner . 

Ship 

Steamer.. 
Schooner. 



Schooner. 
Schooner . 

Sloop 

Yacht.... 
Steamer.. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Steamer.. 



Ship 

Schooner . 

Sloop 

Steamer.. 
Schooner . 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner . 
Steamer.. 



Schooner. 

Sloop 

Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 

Bloop 

Tug 

Ram 

Schooner, 
Steamer. . 



A.J. 

Argo , 

Ai-cola 

Almira Ann.... 

Aid 

Amelia 

Amy Warwick., 

Alena , 

Achilles , 

Ann Ryan 

Alvarado , 

Abbie Bradford, 

Albion 

Aigburth 



Alert 

Ariel , 

Ariel , 

Argonaut. , 
Adeline.. . 

Albion 

Admiral . . 
Anna 



Salt. 



Coffee, sugar, &c 



A. J. View. 
Advocate... 



Coal, salt, &c... 

Rosin, turpen- 
tine, &c 

Tui'pentine and 
tar 

None 



Anna Smith... . 

Arrow 

Atlanta 

America 

Albemarle 

A. 11. Partridge. 

Alphonsina 

Anna Belle 

Alert 

Active 

AlfircdRobb.... 



Alliance. 
Albert... 
Annie... 



Alice 

Actor 

Andromeda 

Agnes H. "Ward. 
Amer'n Coaster. 

Agnes 

Aquilla 

Adela 



Albemarle 

America 

Anna Sophia . . 
Arctic 



Agnes 

Ann Squires 

Anglo American 

Arkansas 

Adventure 



Cargo. 



Cotton... 
Tobacco.. 
Com, &c. 
Timber... 



Assorted. 
Coffee . . . 



Cotfee, <kc 

Molasses 

None 

Salt, fruit, &c. . 



Tm-pentine and 

osiu 

t, &c 



None 

Rosin & shingle 



Assorted 

Salt and coffee. 



Soap, salt, &c. 
Cotton 



Machinery. 
Cotton, &c.. 



None 

Cotton, &c.. 
Turpentine. 



None.... 
Assorted. 



1861 
May 3 
May 14 
May 22 
May 17 
June 6 
June 18 
June 10 
June 15 
June 17 
July 4 
Aug. 6 
Aug. 13 
Aug. 16 
Aug. 31 
Sept. 27 
Oct. G 



Where captured. 



Uampton roads. 



Oct. 20 

Sept. 13 

Nov. 17 

Nov. 25 

Dec. 12 

Nov. 22 



Dec. 1 

1862 
Jan. 10 
Feb. 25 



March.. 
Mar. 14 



March. . 
Feb. 26 
April 26 
April 19 



Mobile bay 

Charleston 

Hampton roads 

Potomac river 

Chandeleur island. . 

Galveston 

St. Mary's river . . . . 
Mississippi river. . . . 

Charleston 

Lat. 30°, long. 80° . . 

Key West 

Charleston 



Wilmington, N. C. 



Off Cape Carnaveral 
Coast of S. Carolina. 
Tybee 

Mississippi sound. . . 



Cedar Keys 

St. John's, Florida.. 
West coast of Florida 
East coast of Florida 
Newbem, N. C 



Cape Blass 

St. John's, Florida.. 
Stono, S.Carolina,. 
Florence, Alabama. 
Captured at Fort 

Macon 

Charleston, 

Gulf of Mexico 



April 26 
May 1 
April 29 

May 14 Roanoke river 
Mar. 6 
May 26 



Charleston. 



June 1 
June 7 
July 16 
Aug. 4 
July 7 



June 19 Mobile 
Mar. 25 
April 10 
Aug. 27 



Pamlico river, N. C. 

Mural, Cuba 

Coast of S. Carolina 
Pamunkey river. . . . 



Sept. 25 
Oct. 1 

Aug. 2.) 



Pungo river, N. C. . . 
Newtogan c'k, N. C. 

Gulf of Mexico 

Potomac river 

St. Andrew's sound, 

Ga 

Wicomico bay 

Mississippi river. , , . 



By what vessel. 



Cumberland 
Minnesota 



Niagara 

Wabash and Union 



Mount Vernon 

Massachusetts 
South Carolina 
Jamestown 
Powhatan 

Roanoke & Seminole 
Jamestown 

Roanoke and Flag 

Vandalia 

Gemsbok 

Susquehanna 

Connecticut 

Penguin & Alabama 

Alabama 

New London & R, R. 

Cuyler 
New London & R. R. 

Cuyler 
New London, &c 



Hatteras 

Bienville & Mohican 
Ethan Allen 
Ottawa, &c. 
Rowan's expedition 



Pursuit 
Bienville 

Flambeau 

Tyler 

Daylight and Chip- 
pewa 

Huron 

Kanawha 

Perry, Lockwood tV 
Ceres 

Ceres 

Pursuit 

Northern Light 

Currituck 

Huntsville 

Hiiron 

Quaker City and 
Himtsville 

Susquuhanna&Kan- 
awha 

Delaware 



Florida 
William Bacon. 



Rope, &c Oct. 1 Pensacola Kensington, &c. 

Aug. 15 Corpus Christi 'Arthur 



578 



VESSELS CAPTITEED AND DESTEOYED 



Cargo. 



"When 
cap- 
tiired. 



Where captured. 



By what vessel 



Schooner. . 
Schooner.. 
Steamer. . . 
Schooner. . 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner. . 
Sloop 

Sloop 

Steamer. . . 
Steamer... 
echooncr . . 

Boat 

Schooner .. 
Schooner. . 

Brig 

Steamer... 
Schooner. . 
Schooner.. 

Sloop 

Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner. . 
Schooner. . 
Schooner.. 

Sloop 

Schooner. . 

Ram 

Steamer. . . 
Iron-clad, 

rebel..... 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner. . 
Schooner.., 

Brig. 

Steamer... 
Schooner. . , 
Steamer..., 
Steamer... 

Brig 

Steamer... 
Steamer... 

Boat 

Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
English soh 
Schooner. . 
British sch. 
Steamer... 



Sloop 

Schooner... 

Steamer 

Mexican sch 

Schooner... 
Schooner. . . 
Schooner... 



Annie Dees... 

Adelaide 

Anglia 

Ariel 

Agnes 

Alicia 

Ariel 

Ann Maria... 
Ann 



Turpentine, &c, 



Drugs, &c. 
Assorted. . . 

None 

Cotton 

Salt 



&c., 



Avenger 

Antona 

A. W. Baker . . . 
A.W.Thompson 

Alligator 

Avon 

Annie 

Atlantic 

Aries 

Antelope. 



Coffee, salt, &c. 
Munitions of wai 



Sutler's stores. 
Salt........... 



1862. 

Nov. 7 

Oct. 21 

Oct. 24 

Nov. 15 

Nov. 24 

Dec. 10 



Dec. 

18G3, 
Jan. 
Jan. 
Feb. 
Feb. 
Feb. 
Feb. 



Charleston ' Seneca 

Sounds of N. Car. . . |Ellis 

Bull's bay 

Lat. 24°, long. 83' 
Indian river 



Shallotte inlet, N. C 



Jupiter inlet. 



Aurelia. . . . 

Anna 

Ascension . 
Annie B. . . 
Alabama.. 
A.. Carson. 

Alma 

Amelia.... 



Dry Goods, &c. 

Cotton 

Coffee, 6ait,"&c.' 



Cotton 

Brandy, &c. 

Assorted 



Mar. 
Mar. 
Mar. 

Mar. 
Feb. 
April 
April 
April 
April 
May 



Cape St. Bias. . . . 
Mississippi river. 

Piney Point 

Caloosahatchie river 

Abaco.... 

Wilmington 

Havana 

Bull's Bay, S. Car. . 

Charleston 

Tortugas 

Mosquito inlet 

Suwanee river 

Havana 

Lat. 27% long. 83° .. 
Lat. 29°, long. — °. . . 
Chesapeake bay .... 



Angelina 

J. Hodge. 
Arkansas.... 



Argo , 

Atlanta 

Anna Maria..., 

Arctic 

Ann 



Cotton..., 
Assorted. 



Charleston 

At sea 

Lat. 28% long. 86° . 
Yazoo citv 



Artist 

Atlantic 

Alice Vivian..., 

Ann 

Alonzo Childs .. 

Arabian 

Atlantic 

Alahama 

Argus 

Alice 

Arctic 

Anita 

Amelia Ann.... 
ilbert, or We- 

nona 

Antoinette 

Antonica 



Drugs, &c. 



Cotton .. 
Assorted. 



June 17 
June 28 
May 28 

July 6 
Aug. 15 
Aug. 10 
Aug. 16 
Aug. 8 



Savannah 

Steinhathee river... 

Great Yiocomico 

Charlotte Harbor, 

Florida 

Lat. 28% long. 95° . . 

Rio Grande 

Gulf of Mexico 

Gilbert's bar 



Sept. 15 

Aug. 14 

Sept. 12 

Oct. 7 

July 13 

Nov. 15 

Oct. 27 

Nov. — 

Nov. 30 

Dee. 8 

Dec. 20 



New inlet. N. Car. , 
Off the Rio Grande 
Chandeleur island . , 
Red river 



At sea , 

At sea 

Brazos Santiago..., 

Off Mobile , 

Cumberland beach. , 
Off Wihnington . . . , 



Annie Thomps'n 
Arietta, or Mar- 
tha 

Alliance 

Alma 

Amanda 



Steamer. 



an C. 

port.. 
Arrow. . 



Assorted Jan. 16 St. Cath.'s sound. 

Coffee Mar. 3 Off Tybee island. . . 

April 12 Off Savannah . 

April 19 

May 14 

!May 3 OffVelasco, Texas 

Lumber ;May 12 Alligator river. 

Cotton & tobacco July 28'Gatesvillc, N. C ■ 



Coast of Texas 

Off Espiiitu Santo 



Flag & Restless 
Huntsville 

Sagamore 



Gem of the Sea 

Sagamore 

Pocahontas 

Queen of the "West 

Wyandank 

Julia 

Tioga 

State of Georgia 

Sonoma 

Stettin 

Memphis 

Two Sisters 

Arizona 

Fort Henry 

Huntsville 

Wanderer 

Susquehanna 

W. World and S. 
Botan 

Perry 

Flag, Cnnandaigua, 
Wamsutta 

Courier 

Huntsville 

Yazoo Pass expedi- 
tion 

Weehawken and 

Nahant 
Fort Henry 
SateUite 
Restless 
Bermuda 
Princess Royal 
De Soto 
Sagamore 

Mississippi squadron 
Shenandoah 

Eugenie 
Black Hawk 
Fort Henry 
Ladona 
Granite City 



Kanawha 
Braziliera 
Gov. Buckingha 



S. Car., T. A. Ward 
Virginia 
Kanawha 
Chocura 

Ceres and Rockland 
Naval and army cap- 
ture 



FOR VIOLATIOlSr OF THE BLOCKADE. 



570 



Steamer.., 
Steamer. . . 
Schooner., 
Steamer.., 
Schooner. , 
Hebel ram. 
Rebel steam 
Schooner. 

Steamer . . 
Schooner. 

Schooner. 
Steamer. . 
Schooner. 
Rebel sch. 
Sloop 

Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner., 

Brig 

Sloop , 

Schooner., 
Schooner. , 
Steamer.., 
Schooner., 
Schooner. , 
Schooner. , 

Sloop 

Sloop , 

Schooner.. 

Sloop 

Sloop 

Schooner., 
Schooner. , 

Steamer.., 
Schooner., 
Steamer.., 
Steamer.., 
Schooner. , 
Schooner., 
Schooner., 

Sloop , 

Sloop 

Steamer.., 

Ship 

Schooner. 

Sloop 

Boat 

Steamer.., 
Schooner.. 



Sloop. 



A. D. Vance.. 

Annie 

Ani)io Virden. 

Annie 

Ann Louisa.. 



Albemarle , 

Alabama 

Albert Edward 

Armstrong 

Alabama 



Cargo. 



Cotton 

Cotton, &c.. 
Cotton 



18G4. 
Sept. 10 
Oct. 31 
Oct. 5 
Oct. 7 

Sept. 



Armed vess 

Cotton 

Cotton, &c. 



Annie Sophia. 
Anna Dale . . . 
Annie 



Belle Conway. 
Brilliante 



Brunette 

Baltimore 

Beverly 

Bachelor 

Bueua Vista 

Beauregard 

F. Martin ... 
Blooming Youth 

Black Warrior. . 
British Queen... 

Bermuda 

Belle 

British Empire.. 

Baigorry 

Beauregard 

Blossom 

Breaker 

Bellefont 

Belle Italia 

Brilliant 

By George 



When 
Cap- 
tured. 



Where captured. 



Ammunition, &o. 
Cotton 



Tobacco 

Flour 

Salt and oats. . . . 
Iron and vitriol. 
Salt and sugar.. 



Bloomer. 



Berwick Bay. 
Belle 



Brothers 

Banstor 

Bright 

Blazor 

Britannia 

Banshee 

Bettie Cratzer. 

Blue Belle 

Buckshot 

Banshee 



Salt and coffee. 
Powder, &c.... 

Salt, <kc 

Provisions, &c. 

Cotton 

Lumber , 

Wheat 

None 



None 

Salt 

Coflee, salt, &c. 



Sugar,cotton,&c 
Coffee, salt, &c. 
Assorted 



Bigelow.. 
Bendigo. 
Buflfalc. 



Assorted 
Kone..., 



June 19 
Oct. 31 
Dec. 

Dea 7 

1865 
Jan. 17 
Mar. 2 
Feb. 
Feb. 18 
April 11 

1861 
May 15 
June 

July IG 

Sept. 29 
Oct. 



July 17 
Nov. 13 
July 28 
Deo. 18 

1862. 
Feb. — 
Mar. 1 
April 27 
April 26 



At .sea 

Off New inlet 

Off Valasco 

Near Cape Fear 

Lat.26°30N.;long. 
89= 30' W 

Roanoke river 



Off Cherbourg, Fr. 
Lat. 27° N.; long. 94 

w ....:... 

Cat. 32° N.; long. 77' 
W 



By what vessel. 



Off St. Louis Pass. 



Suwanee river, Fla. 
Savannah river. 



Galveston Bay . . . , 

Pass Cavallo 

Crystal river, Fla. 

Hampton roads. . . , 
Mississippi sormd. , 



Coast of Maryland. 
H.atteras inlet 



Potomac river. 



Bahama ch.annel. . 

Hatteras 

Alexandria, Va... 



Elizabeth City.... 

Wilmington 

Hole-in- Wall 

Charleston 

Maratanzas inlet. . . 
Lat. 23°, long. 83° . 

Coast of Texas , 

Potomac river , 

Coast of Texas 



New Topsail inlet . . 
Indian river 



June 
Aug.' 12 

Feb. 
July 10 
Nov. 3 
Dec. 1 

1863. 
Jan. 1 
Jan. 15 
Jan. 19 
Feb. 3 
Feb. 23 
Mar. 22 
Mar. 25 

April 24 Gulf of Mexico 
May 27;Lat. 2G°, long. 96°.. 
June 25 1 Lat, 25°, long. 74° . . . 

July 29, New Inlet 

June 23 Coast of N. Car. . . . 
July 2 Sabine Pass 
Aug. 7 



New Orleans, La. . . , 
Mississippi river . . . 

Sapelo sound 

Abaco 



Santiago de Cuba 

Kansas, &c. 

Mobile 

Aster 

Proteus 

Torpedo boat (Lieut 

Cashing) 
Kearsarge 
Katahdin 

R. R. Cuylcr and 

others 
f rineess Royal and 

Chocui-a 

Honeysuckle 
Pontiac 

Bienville and Prin- 
cess Royal 
Panola 
Sea Bird 



Potomac flotilla 

Susquehanna 

GeuMbok 

Potomac flotilla 

Resolute 

W. G. Anderson 

Union 

Perry 

Rowan's expedition 

Mount Vernon 

Mercedita 

Uncas 

Isaac Smith 

Bainbridj;e. 

Rachel Seaman 

Rc-liance 

Arthur 



Daylight 



Nov. 21 
Deo. 16 
I 1864. 

Jan. 3 

Cotton Feb. 1 



Off Wilmington 

St. Andrew's sound 
Ga 



Naval and army cap- 
ture 

Octorara 

Admiral Farragut's 
fleet 

Queen of the West 

Potomska 

Tioga 

Fort Henry 

"~ Soto 

Brooklyn 

Santiiiijo de Cuba 

Niphon 

Flambeau 

Cayuga 

San Jacinto 

Grand Gulf a::d Ful- 
ton 

Not knov.-n 

Blockading squadron 
Braziliera 



580 



VESSELS CAPTUEED AND DESTROYED 



Cargo. 



Where captured. 



By what vessel. 



Steamer... 
Steamer... 
Steamer. . . 
Schooner.. 
Steamer... 
Schooner.. 

Steamer. . . 
Schooner... 



Echel st'r-. 
Eebel st'r. 

Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner. . 
Schooner.. . 
Schooner.. 

Sloop 

Schooner.. 



1864. 
May 5 Off Plymouth, N. C. 



Assorted. . . . 
Machinery. 
Cotton 



Beatrice. 
Belle.... 



Blenheim. 
Ben Willi 



Assorted. 
Cotton... 



Ammunition,&c 



Baltic 

Black Diamond 



Cecilia 

Cambria , 

Carrie 

Crenshaw , 

Catherine , 

Caroline 

C. P. Knapp.... 
Charles Henry, 
Col. Long , 



Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 

Schooner.. 



Cheshire.. 



Charity 

Capt. Spedden. 



Blankets, &c. 

Assorted 

Lumber 



Calhotm. 



Powder, rifle 
&c , 



Sloop 

Schooner... 
Schooner... 
Sloop 

Pilot boat. 
Schooner.. . 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Steamer. . . 



Schooner. 
Gunboat. . 
Steamer.. 



Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 



Schooner. 
Schooner. 



Propeller., 
Schooner. , 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 



Curlew.... 
Caroline... 

Cora 

Clifton 

Coquette.., 
Cygnet.... 
Coltunbia... 
Charlotte . . 

Cuba 

Circassian. 



Cotton 

Powder, &c. 



Cora 

Corypheus.... 
Clara Dolson. 
Catalina 



Rifles, drugs, &c 
Cotton, 45 bales 
Salt 



July 
Oct. 



Nov. 27 
Dec. 27 

1865. 
Jan. 24 



May 10 

1861. 
Sept. 24 
April 23 
May 2 
May 17 
May 27 
July 5 
Aug. 8 
April 7 
Sept. 4 

Dec. 6 

Dec. 15 

Dec. 31 



Mar. 14 
April 3 
AprU 2 
April 5 
April 10 

May 4 



May 2( 



Off "Wihnington.... 

St. George's Sound, 
Fla 

Off Charleston, S. C. 
Galveston, Texas... 

Cape Fear river 

Lat. 28° N., long, 92" 



Richmond, Va 

Tombigbee river.. . 



Chandeleur island. 
At sea 



May 
May 



Cotton.. 



Dry goods, &c. 
Salt 



Curlew.. 
Chance.. 

I Cotton, 30 bales 
Caroline Virginia' None, 
Comet 'None. 

Cotton, 52 bales 



June 
June 
Mar. 



Columbia 

Corelia 

Chapel Point. 
Conchita 



Cannon, rifles. 



April 
July 
Aug, 
Aug. 

Sept. 
Oct. 



Hampton roads... 



Hatteras inlet. 
Biloxi 



Southwest Pass. 



Roanoke island..., 
Westcoast of Fla. 
Lat. 26°, long. 84° 

Newbern 

Charleston bar.... 



Apalachicola.... 

Coast of Texas. 
Mobile 



Coast of Cuba. 



Charleston 

Bayou Bontbuca. 



Charleston. 



Cedar Keys , 

Warsaw Sound... 
Sounds of N. Car. 
Newborn 



Newtogan c'k N. C. . 

Coast of Texas 

3 1 Lat. 28°, long. 76°.., 
23 Lat. 23% long. 84°., 

20 Potomac river , 

— I Coast of Texas...., 



Mattabesett and oth- 
ers 
Fort Jackson 
Montgomery, &c. 
Adela 

Picket boats 
Virginia 

N. Atlantic squadron 

Panola 

Part of N. Atlantic 

squadron 
Part of West Gulf 

squadron 



Dart 
Cumberland 

Minnesota 

South Carolina 

Santee 

Massachusetts 

Jamestown 

Flag, Seneca, Poca- 
hontas, Augusta, 
and Savannah 

Stars and Stripes 

Harry Lewis, Water- 
Witch and New 
London 

Colorado, Rachel 
Seaman, and tend- 
er of Samuel Ro- 
tan 

Rowan's expedition 

Ethan Allen 

Panola 

Rowan's expedition 

Susquehanna 

Mercedita and Saga- 
more 

Montgomery 

Kanawha 

Somerset 

Mount Vernon, Vic- 
toria, and State of 
Georgia 

Huron 

Arietta and Dan 

Keystone State 

Calhoun 

Mound City 

Alabama and Flam- 
beau 

Somerset 

Braziliera 

Naval expedition 

Rowan's expedition 

Commodore Perry 
and others 

Arthur 

Santiago de Cuba 

James S. Chambers 

Jacob Bell 

Crocker's expedition 



FOR VIOLATION OF THE BLOCKADE. 



581 



Cargo. 



When 
cap- 
tured. 



Where captured. 



By what vessel. 



Steamer. 
Sloop. . . . 



Capitola. . 
Caperton. 



Munitions 

war 

None 



1862. I 
Oct. 28|Lat. 29°, long. 87°. 
Nov. 8Glymont, Md 



Schooner. 

Brig 

Schooner.. 



Courier. . 
Comet... 
Carmita. 



C. A, Farwell. 



Steamer.. 
Schooner.. 
Steamer.. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 

Schooner. 



Ceres 

Chatham 

Curlew 

Charm 

C. W. Worrell. 
Clara 



Clyde.... 
CrotUda.. 
Clierokee. 



Steamer. . . 
Brigantine 

Boat 

Sloop 



Cuba 

Comet 

Crazy Jane... 
C. Eonterean.. 



Schooner.. , 
Steamer.., 



Clarita.. 
Calypso. 



Steamer.... 
Schooner.. 

Sloop 

Sloop 



Charleston . 
Cassandra . . 
Clara Ann.. 
Clotilda.... 



Steamer..... Cronstadt.... 

Schooner.... I Carmita 

Sloop Clara Iiouisa. 



Schooner.... Charmer.. 
Steamer.... Comubia.. 
Steamer. . . . ' Chatham. 
Eng. stim'r. ! Ceres 

36 



Cotton, 12 bales, 
2 bags, and 1 
crate 



Assorted 

Cotton, 57 bales 
Cotton, 39 bales. 



Drugs, &c. 



Salt, coffee, &c., 
Assorted , 



Coal, 1G,000 tons 



Cotton. 



General . . . . 

Cotton, 179 1 
Cotton, &c.. 

Cotton. 

do 



Nov. 11 

Dec. 22 

Dec. 26 

Dec. 27 

18G3. 

Jan. 19 



Feb. 27 
Feb. 28 
Feb. 23 
Feb. 24 
Mar. 25 
Mar. SO 
April 14 
AprU 16 
May 7 



Mobile 

Deer creek 

Campeachy bank . , 
Lat. 28°, long. 80° 
Charleston bar.... 



Cotton, 
Cotton, 
Cotton, 
Cotton, 
Cotton, 
Cotton, 
Cotton, 
Cotton, 
Cotton, 
Cotton, 
Cotton, 
Cotton, 
Cotton, 
Cotton, 
&c... 
Cotton, 
Cotton, 



52§ bales 
22 bales. 
138 bales 
116 bales 
5 bales . . 
15 bales. 
5 bales.. 
17 bales. 
54 bales. 
50 lbs... 

13 bales 
12 bales. 

14 bags. 
64 bales, 



April 20 

May 17 

May 15 

May 8 

May 16 

April 26 
June 11 
June 1 

June 3 

June 21 
June 19 
July 26 
July 11 
Aui;. 7 
July 29 



Apalachicola , 

Lat. 28°, long 87° . . , 

Fort Morgan 

Tampa bay, Florida, 
Charleston 



Lat. 20°, long. 
Wilmington.. 
Crystal river.. 



Whiskey, 



Cotton 

Cotton, 22 bales. 
"■otton.lSSi bales 

Cotton, &c 

Cotton 

Whiskey, &c.... 

Cotton, several 

lots 



April 20 
July - 
July - 
July - 

Dec. — 
Dec. — 
July 11 

Aug. 1 
July 26 
July 17 
do. 19-26 
Aug. 16 
Aug. 14 
Aug. 8 



July 26 
Nov. 8 
Dec 16 

Dec 6 



Sabine Pass 

Lat. 24°, long. 83% 
Abaco 

Marquesas keys.. 

New Orleans, La. 



Alexandria, Va.. 
Indian river 



Montgomery 
Eesoluto 

Velocity, Dan Ken- 
sington, and Ra- 
chel Seaman 

Huntsville 

Santiago dc Cuba 

Magnolia 

Admiral Farragut's 
fleet 



Adolf Hugel 
New Era 
Gem of the Sea 
Wyandank 
Kanawha 

Mississippi squadron 
Sonoma 
McClellan 
Canandaigua and 
Flag 

Port Royal 

De Soto 

Kanawha 

Tahoma 

S. Atlantic block- 

ad'g squadron. 
De Soto 
Florida 
Fort Henry and 

Beauregard 
Fort Henry and 

Beaurestard 
Octorara and Tioga 
Fort Henry 
Hendi-ick Hudson - 
De Soto 
San Jacinto 
Port Koyal 



Near Apalachicola. . 

St. Joseph's bay 

Mississippi squadron 



Wilmington 

Rappahannock rivei 

Cone river 

Mosquito inlet 

Wacassassa river... . 

Cape Snn Bias 

Lat. 27°, long. 76°... 
Lat. 26°, long. 95.... 
Indian River inlet.. 



Mosqiiito inlet. 
Off New Inlet.. 
Dotev pound.. , 
Cape Feiir rive;- 



Port Royal 



Omgo 

S.ominolo 
Yankee. 

Sagamore, &a 
Fort Henry 
Hendrick ftudson. 
Rhode Island 
Bermuda 
Sagamore 
Mississippi fquadroa 

Sagamore, &c. 
Jas. Adger and Nip- 

hon 
Huron 
Coun. and other? 



582 



VESSELS CAPTURED AXD DESTEOYED 



Cargo. 



Wten 

cap- Where captured. By what vessel, 
tured. 



Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 



Steamer. 
Schooner. 
Sloop.... 
Steamer. 

Sloop... . 

Sloop 

Schooner. 
Steamer. 
Steamer. 



Cimiherland. 

Camilla 

denoU.. 
Caledonia . . . 



Caroline... 
Cyclops ... 
Coquette . . 
Condor . . . 
Constance . 



Schooner. 
Schooner. , 



Cora Smvser. 
Carrie Slair . 



Salt, &c 

Cotton, 50 bales. 
Cotton, 67 hales. 
Cotton, 2, 12! 



1863. 

Dec. 28 Oclockn ey river, Fla, 
Oct. 5 Calcasieu Pass, 
1864. 

Jupiter inlet 

At sea 

Suwanee river, Fla 



Jan. 18 
Jan. 6 
Feb. 26 



Molasses,28 brl's 
Cotton, 450 hales 

Assorted 

Cotton 



Cotton, 78 bales 
id 2 half bis. 
Cotton,109 bales. 
Cotton, 88 bales. 
Cotton, 34 bags. 
Cotton, 27 bales. 
Cotton, 40 bales. 
Cotton, 4 bales 

and 152 bags. 
Cotton, 94 bale: 
Cotton, 90 bales 
Cotton, 2 bales 
Cotton, 161 bales 

and 3 half bis. 
Cotton, 90 bales. 

Cotton, 82 bales. 
Cotton,235 bales. 
Cotton, 12 bags. 
Cotton, 43 bales 



loose 

Cotton, 30 bales. 
Cotton, 30 bales. 
Cotton,12,0001bs 

good, 1,200 lbs, 

picldngs 

Cotton, 22 bales 

and 2 bags. 
Cotton, 23 ba 
Cotton, 42 bales 

and 11 bags... 
Cotton, 80 bales. 

Cotton, 52 bales. 
Cotton, 83 bales. 
Cotton, 81 bales. 
Cotton, 38 bales. 
Cotton, 4 bales.. 
Cotton, 4,000 or 
5,000 pounds. 
Cotton, 5 bales.. 
Cotton, 93 bales. 



Feb. — 

Feb. 5 

Feb. 29 

May 30 

June 10 

June 12 
Oct. 

Oct 1 
Oct. 

May 31 

April 23 

June 4 

June 14 

June 20 

June 26 

July 7 



July 11 
July 13 
July 26 

July 28 

July 
Aug. 
Aug. 
Aug. 7 



Aug. 10 



Port Pemberton 

At sea 

San Luis Pass 



Jupiter inlet... 
Off Charleston. 
Potomac river. 



Off Charleston. 



Suwanee river 

Off Cape Lookout. 



Suwanee river . 
At Sea 



G.itesville, N. C. 



Lat. 33° 9' N.; long, 
76° 36' W. 

13 Off Beaufort.. 

24 j Suwanee river 



Aug. 25 At sea. 



Aug. 

Sept. 
Sept. 
Sept. 
Sept. 
Sept. 

Mar. 

Mar. 

Oct 

[Nov. 

Cotton, 133 bales; Dec. 



Cotton 27 bales. ! „ 
Cotton Dec. 



Stars and Stripes 
Granite City 

Roebuck 

VanderbUt 

Clyde 

Mississippi squadron 



Exped.tionup Yazoo 

De Soto 

Virginia 

Massachusetts and 

Keystone State 
Union 
Flag 
Adolph Hug-el 



9 Off Galveston 

llOffVelasco 

is: Gulf of Mexico 

30' Albemarle soimd . . . 
lG|yellow Bluff, Fla... 

13 Up St. John's River 
14! 

?8 0ffVelasco, Texas.. 

30 Pass Caballo, Texas, 

5 Lat. 32° N., long, 

I 77° W. 

At sea 



Vicksbm-g 



Keystone State 
J. S. Chambers and 
Clyde 



Sagamore and Clyde 
Connecticut 
Massachusetts 
Keystone State 

Whitehead 

Anes 

Keystone State 

Santiago de Cuba 



Monticello 
Gettysbui'g 
Monticello and Mt. 
Vernon 

Mount Vernon 



Clyde 

Kf-ystone State, Get- 
tysburg 
R. R. Cuyler 
Sciota 

Augusta Dinsmore 
Aroostook 
Wyalusing 
Hendrick Hudson 

Pawnee and others 

Sciota and Chocura 
Itasca 

Gettysburg and oth- 
ers 
Mackinaw 



LOtf Galveston island! Princess Royal 



FOR VIOLATION OF THE BLOCKADE. 



Steamer.... 
Schooner... 
Steamer.... 
Schooner. . . 



Steamer., 



Rebel iron- 
clad 



Schooner. , 
Schooner. , 

Schooner.. 
H.brig... 
Schooner. , 



Sloop 

Steamer.. 
Schooner. . 
Schooner. . 
Schooner. , 

Schooner., 
Schooner. , 
Schooner. , 
Schooner. . 
Steamer.. 



Charlotte... 
Coquette.... 

Celt 

Comus 



Cath. Coombs.. 
Cora 



Chaos 

Cotton Plant. 
Columbia.... 



Cargo. 



Cotton, 14 bales. 

Arms, blankets, 

&c. 
Cotton 



Cotton.. 
Cotton.. 



"Whiskey, &c. 
Lumber 



Dorothy Haines 
Delaware Far- 

I mer 

jDart 

IDelta 

Delight 



Hay 

Tobacco. 
None.... 
Salt 



Dudley or Pink- 

ney 
I Darlington. . 

JDixie , 

1 Deer Island., 
i Director...., 



Steamer.. 
Propeller. 
Steamer.. 

Schooner. . 
Steamer.., 
Schooner. . 
Schooner.. 
Steamer. . 
Steamer.., 
Brig 



Steamer. . 
Schooner. 
Steamer.. 
Steamer.. 
Steamer.. 



Schooner. . 
Schooner. . 
Steamer.. 



Steamer... 
Steamer... 



Director 

Defiance 

David Crockett. 

Dart 

Dan 

Diana 

Dove 



Diana 

Douro 

Dolphin 

D. Sargent 

Dart 

Dew Drop 

Don Jose 

Director 

Duoro 

Diamond 

Dashing "Wave. 

Dare 

Defy 

Dee 

Don 

Donegal, or Aiis- 
tin. 



Delia.. 
Delphi: 
Deer. . 



Cotton, 5 bales.. 
Cotton, 50 bales. 

Cotton 

Cotton, 140 bales 



When 
cap- 
tured. 



1865 
Jan. 5 



Jan. 19 
Jan. 26 



Feb. 2 
Mar. 24 

April 2 
April 20 
April 21 
April 19 



Cotton, 99 bales 



None 

Oil, soap, &c... 
Turpentine, &c. 
Salt, rope, &c.. 



Assorted. 



Cotton... 
Assorted. 



Assorted. . . 
do 

Medicines. 



Munitions of 
war. 

Lead and sabres. 

Cotton 

Copper, arms, 
&c. 



Dolly...., 
Denbigh. 



1861. 
May 11 

May 14 

July 4 

Oct. 27 

Dec. 9 



Jan. 10 
Mar. 3 
April U 
May 13 
x\Iay 4 



"Where captured. 



Lat. 33° N., long. 

75° "W. 
Cape Fear river 



Combahee river, 
Carolina 

Stranded on Sulli- 
van's island 

Lat. 23° N., long, 
83° "W. 

YorktowTi, "Va 

Near Brazos de St, 
lago. 

■ river. 

Off Galveston, Texas 



Roanoke river. 



Charleston, S. C. 



Hampton roads 



Galveston 

Mississippi sound. 



By what vessel. 



Cedar keys 

Fernandina....... 

Georgetown 

Mississippi sound. 
York river 



July — 
Sept. 7 
Oct. 13 
Oct. 6 
Oct. — 
Nov. 2G 



Sapello sound. 
Charleston.... 
Coast of Texas. 



Jan. 19 New Orleans. 
Mar. 91 Lat. 33°, long. 77°. 



Mar. 25 

Mar. 12 

May 1 

May - 

July 2 

Sept. 30 

Oct. 11 



Lat. 19°, long, 65° 

Galveiton , 

Mobile , 



At sea 

Point Eossa 

New inlet 

Sept. 23 St. Simon's sound. 
Nov. 5 lofl'Kio Grande..., 



Jan. 9 

Feb. 3 Off Doboy light, Ga, 
Feb. G Near Masonboro' . . , 
Mar. 4 1 Off Beaufort, N. C. . . 

June 6J Off Mobile bay 

1865. 
Feb. 1 7 1 Near Bayport, Fla . . 

Jan. 22 1 Calcasieu river 

Feb. 18 Charleston, S. C 



May 



Horace Beals 
Malvern and others 
Dai-Ching and CIo- 



luka 
Crusader 
Quaker City 
Huntress 
Gertru.:.: 
Comubia 

Comubia and Ger- 
trude 
Boat expedition 



Cumberland 



South Carolina 
Santee 
New London 



Hatteras 
Naval expedition 
Keystone State 
Bohio 

Corwin and Curii- 
tuck 

Brazil! era 
America and Flag 
Kensington, &a 

Kittatinny 
Magnolia 

Admiral Fariagut 

Quaker City 

"Wachusett 

Kittatinny 

Kanawha 

Yazoo expedition 

JuniMta 

Gem of the Sea 

Nansemond 

Stettin 

Owasco, Virginia. 

.\ries 

Midnight 

Cambridge 

Pequot 

Mctacomet 



Mahaska 
Chocura 

Monadnook aaJ i 



Roanoke river, N. C, Naval expeditio 



58-1 



VESSELS CAPTURED AND DESTROYED 



Cargo. 



^Vlle^e coptiired. 



By -what vessel 



Schooner. . , 
Schooner. . . 
Schooner... 
Schooner... 
Schooner... 
Schooner... 
Schooner. . , 
Schooner. . , 
Schooner. . , 

Bark 

Schooner. . . 

Sloop 

Sloop 

Sloop 

Schooner.. . 
ScJiooner.. 
Steamer... 

Sloop 

Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner. . 
Schooner.. 

Ship 

Propeller. . 
Steamer... 
Schooner. . 
Schooner.. 
Steamer. . . 

Schooner.. 

Steamer... 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner. . 
Schooner.. 

Sloop 

Armed sch. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 

Sloop 

Schooner. . 

Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 

Sloop 

Steamer... 

Sloop 

Sloop 

Schooner.. 

Sloop 

Steamer... 

Sloop 

Schooner.. 
Schooner. . 
Steamer... 
Steamer... 

Sloop 

Schooner.. 
Schooner. . 
Sloop 



Elite 

Emily A.. n 

Elizabeth Ann. . 
Enchantress.... 

Extra 

Eagle 

Edwin 

Ezilda 

Ewd. Barnard.. 

Empress 

E. J. Waterman 

Express 

Ellen Jane 

Eugenia Smith. 



Emma 

Eugenia Smiih, 

Ellis 

Edisto 

Elizabeth , 

Eva Bell 

Eothen, , 

Eugenie 

Emily St. Piern 

Eureka 

Ella Warley.... 



Coal 

Tobacco. 



18G1. 
May 4 
May 14 



Assorted. , 
Wlieat.... 



Molasses. . . . 
Arms and go: 
Turpentine . 



July 22 
Aug. £9 
Aug. 12 



Ilamptcn roads... 
Coast of Virginia. 



Rappahannock i iver 



None 

Marketing. . 



Assorted. . , 
Coffee, &c. , 



Cotton 

Gunny Cloth. 
Cotton, &c.... 
Ai-ms, iSrc 



Eugenia. . . 

EUaD 

Elizabeth.. 



Emily. 
Emily. 



Elizabeth 

Eliza 

ElmiraC 'melius 

Eliza 

Elmer 

Elias Reed 

Emma 



Salt 

Assorted. 
Salt, &c. 
Cotton... 

Salt 

Assorted. 



Sept. 311 
Oct li3 
Nov. 2G 
Nov. 30 
Dec. 9 
Dec. IS 
Dec. 7 

18G2. 
Jan. 17 
Feb. 7 
Feb. — 
Feb. 14 

Mar. 14 

Ma". 16 
Mar. 18 
April — 
April 25 
May 20 
May 22 
May 29 

June 2C 

July 7 

July 23 

July 5 

Aug. 21 

Oct. 11 



Beaufort, N. C 

Barrataria 1 ay 

Pass a rOutre 

Northc ast Pass, Miss 

Ty bee light 

Mississippi sound . . . 

Alexandria, Va 

Off Rio Grande 



Cumberland 

Albatross 

Daylight 
Resolute 
Cambridge 
South Carolina 

Vincennes and Miss. 

Savannah 

New London 

Perry 

Santiago de Cuba 



I 
Coast of Florida . . . , i Connecticut 



Lat. 28°, long. 91°... 

Roanoke island 

Bull's Bay 



Newbern , 



Off the Mississippi. 

Charleston 

Potomac river 

Lat. 28°, long. 97°.. 
North Carolina. . . . 



Wilmington., 



Bull's bay... 
Lat. 27°, long 



Charleston.. 
Bull's bay.. 



Cot'n, r 
Cotton, 



Coast of Texas. . , 
Lat. 26°, long. 77 
Velasco, Texas.. 



EmmaTuttle... 

Ellen , 

Exchange , 



EmmaTuttle.. 
Emily Murray. 
Elizabeth 



Saltpetre 

Merchandise. 
Salt 



Aug. 12 

Nov, 

Sept. 26 

Nov. 3 New inlet, 

Nov. 24 Indian river. 

Deo. 28 RappaLannock river 

1863. 
Jan. 27 
Feb. 9 
June 28 



Evansville. 
Enterprise. 
Express.... 



Cotton... 
Salt, &o., 



Feb. 12 

Mar. 8 
May 



Jupiter inlet 

Carson's landing. 



Emma Amelia. 



Assorted. 



Cotton . 
General 
Cotton.. 



El'asBeckwith. 

Eugenie 

Emeline 

Emily 

Echo 

Eagle 

Emma Bstt.... 
Evening Star.. 

Elizabeth 

Emma 

Emma ]Tar, &c. 

Eureka. . 



Cotton. 



Assorted. 



Steamer. . . . ;Emma ' Cotton . 



May 
April 
May 
May 
May 
May 
May 
May 
May 
June 
June 
July 
July 
July 



4i Coast of S. Carolina 

n'st. Andrew's bay, 
^1 Fla 



23Mobile , 

6j 

16! At sea 

21;TJrbana, Va 

31 Lat. 2.1°, long. 83° 
18 Lat. 25°, long. 77° 



29 Warsaw sound, Ga 
14 Lat. 23°, long. 83° 
19 Mosquito inlet.. . . 

3 Cedar keys 

2 Commerce 

24' Lat. 33°, long. 70° 



Eohio 

Rowan's expedition 

Restless 

Rowan's expedition 

Owasco 

Blockadi'g squadi-on 

Potomac flotilla 

Santiago de Cuba 

Hunchback and 

Whitehead 

Whitehead 

Keystone State and 
Jas. Adger 

Mt. Vernon, Penob- 
scot, Mystic, and 
Victoria 

Restless and Flag 

Adirondack 

Hatteras 

Bienville 

Flag and Restless. 

Crocker's expedition 

Arthur 

Octorara 

Kittatinny 

Ml. Vernon and 
Cambridge 

Sagamore 

Anacostia 

Hope 

Cceur de Lion 

Sagamore 

Concstoga & Duch- 

Sagamore 

Cbocura and Mara- 
tanza. 

Roebuck 

Pembina 

R. R. Cuyler 

Courier 

Currituck, &c. 

Sunflower 

Octorara 

Yazoo expedition 

Cimarron 

Juniata 

Para 

Fort Heni-y 

Covington 

Arago, arr-iy trans- 
port 



FOR VIOLATION OF THE BLOCKADE. 



585 



Cargo. 



When 
Cap- 
tured. 



"WTiere captured. 



By what vessel. 



Steamer... 
SchoorLer... 
Steamer..., 



British sch. 
British sch. 

Schooner.. 
British sch. 
Steamer... 
Schooner,. 



Steamer.. 
Schooner. 
Steamer.. 
Steamer.. 

Schooner. 

Brig 

Steamer.. 
Steamer.. 

Schooner. 

Brig 

Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 

Ship 

Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 

Sloop 

Steamer.. 
Steamer.. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner . 
Schooner. 
Steamer.. 
Schooner. 
Schooaer. 
Steamer.. 

Bark 

Schooner. 
Schooner. 

Sloop 

Sloop 



Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Sloop 



Elmira 

Excelsior. 



Sugar, rum. 
Cotton 



Elizaheth 

Ella and Anna. 

Ella 

Eureka 

Ella 



1863. 
July- 
July 
Oct. 
Nov. 
Nov. 
Nov. 



— Ecd river 

13 Galveston 

_! Lookwood's Folly LD 



10 Oif Fori Fisher. 
22 At Sea 



Edward. 
Exchans 



Ellen 

Eliza , 

Emily 

Experiment. . 
Emma 



Lead and salt. 
Assorted 



Cotton. , 

Salt 

Cotton . 



Dec. 

1864 
Jan. 
Jan. 
Feb. 
May 
June 



24 Near Suwanee river, 
Coast of Texas 



16 0ff MoMIe , 

19 Jupiter inlet, Fla... 
lO! Masonboro' inlet. . . , 

3j Coast of Texas 

9 Near Charlotte har, 



Elsie 

Emily 

Emma Henry. 
Ella 



Elvira 

Eco 

Emma No. 2. 
Egypt Mills.. 



F. "W.Johnson.. 
Forest King... . 

Fanny 

Falcon 

Favorite 

Finland 

Falcon 

Fanny Lee 

Fairwand 

Fashion 



Cotton & tob'cco 
Coffee, rice, &c.. 



Sept. 4 
Oct. 19 
Dec. 
Deo. 

18C5. 
Feb. 25 
Feb. 19 
Mar. 20 



Iron 

Coflfoe.... 
Bricks. . . . 
General.. 



1861. 
June 1 
June 13 
June 23 
July 5 
July 10 
AuEf. 26 



Rice, &c 

Green turtle. 



Florida. 

Forrest. 
Fanny. . 

Florida. 



Fairplay 

Floyd 

F. J. Capron.. 

\lcon 

Florida 

Farren 

Flash 

Fashion 

Fannie Laurie. 

Fanny 

Frances 

Flying Cloud.. 
Flying Fish.... 



Nov. 
Aug. 29 
Nov. 29 
Dec. 1 
1862. 
Feb. - 

Mar. 10 
Mar. 1 
April 
April 29 

April 
April 6 



Salt, &c 

Cotton, &c. 
Salt 



Powder, salt, &c 



Five Brothers. 



Florida 

Florence Night- 
ingale 

Fashion 

Flying Cloud... 



Cotton. 

Nonj .. 



May 2 

May 6 

Sept. 4 

Aug. 22 

Oct. 23 

Dec. 29 
Dec. 



Mar. 16 
Jan, 11 
Jan. 13 



May 23 



At sea 

Off San Luis Pass.. 
Lat. 33''N., long. 7/ 



Off Wilmington, N 
CaroUna 



Bull "War sound 

Oft' Galveston, Tex 

Rodney, Miss 

Roanoke river, N. C 



Chesapeake bay. . . . 

Key West 

Mississippi sound. . 

Galveston 

Eastern Shore, Md. 
Apalachicola bay. . . 



St. Simon's island. . 



Tumbalin liglit 
house 

Roanoke island. ... 



Lat. 27° N., long. 84' 
W 

Georgetown, S. C 
Apalachicola 



Potomac river. 
St. Andrew's.. 



South Edlsto . . . . 

St. Simon's 

Coast of Florida. 



Lat. 25° N., long. 77° 
W 

Apalachicola 



Red River expcdi'n" 
Katahdin 



Niphon 

Howquiih 

Aroostook 



Fox, tender to San 

Jacinto 
Antona 

Gertrude 

Roebuck 

Florida 

Virginia 

Rosalie, tender to 

Gem of the Sea 
Keystone State, 

Quaker City 
Mobile 
Cherokee 
Emma 



Chenango 
Gertrude 

Naval expedition 

Union 
Mississippi 
Massachusetts 
South Carolina 
Potomac flotilla 
R. R. Ouyler 

St. Lawrence 
Quaker City 
Ethan Allen 
South Carolina 



Rowan's expedition 



J. L. Davis 
Gem of the Sea 
Mercedita and Sag 
more 

Potomac flotilla 

Pursuit 
Ethan Allen 
Restless 
Hatteras 
Shepherd Knapp 
Keystone Stale 
Sagamore 
Magnolia. 



Tioga and Ootoraia 



June 2| Potomac river 



Port Royal 
Primrose 



586 



VESSELS CAPTUEED AND DESTROYED 



Schooner.. 

Schooner. . 
.Steamer... 
Steamer... 
Schooner . . 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 

English sch 
Steamer... 

Sloop 

English sch. 
Schooner 
Sloop 

Eehel stea 
Kebel arm'd 

steamer 
Steamer.. 
Schooner. 



Schooner.. 

Sloop 

Kebel 
Iron-clad. 
Steamer... 

Schooner . . 

Bark 

Ship 

Schooner . . 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner . . 
Steamer... 
Schooner . . 
Schooner.. 
Schooner .. 



Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 



Bark .... 

Schooner 
Steamer. 
Steamer. 
Steamer. 
Steamer. 
Steamer. 
Sloop. . . . 
Sloop... . 

Sloop 

Steamer. 

Sloop 

Schooner 
Schooner 

Bark 

Steamer. 
Schooner 



Frolic... 
Florida.. 
Fashion . 



Flying Scud... 

Fulton 

Fanny 

Florrie 

Friendship 

Friendship 

F. U.Johnson. 



Fly 

Fanny <& Jenny, 

Florida 

Fanny 

Fred.'the Second 
Fortunate... 
Fort Gaines. 



Florida. 
Flora. . . 



Fannie McRae. 
Florida 



Fredericksburg 
Fisher 



George M.Smith 
General Green 
General Parkhill 
General Knox 
George G. Baker 
Georgiana 
George B. Sloat. 



Gipsey. . . 
Good Egg 
Gypsey... 
Garonne , 



Grace E. Baker. 
G. H. Smoot.... 
Guide 



Gondar 

Glenn 

Gen.C. C. Piiik- 
ney 



Gov.A. Moulton 
General Lovell. 
Gen.Beauregard 
General Price . . 
General Bragg.. 
G. L. Broeken- 

boroTigh 

Grapeshot 

G. "W. Green.... 
Gov. Morton. . . . 



Goodluck. . . , 

Galena , 

George "W. Grice 
George Alban 
Gov. Mouton. 
Georgia. 



Cargo. 



Salt, &c. 
Cotton... 



Assorted 

Drugs, &c , 

Munitions of wai 



Assorted. 
Cotton..'.' 



Guncarriag's,&c 



Cotton... 
Tobacco. 



Cotton 

Cotton, itc. 



Cotton, &c 

Provisions, &c. 



None 

Shoes, &c 



June 25 
June 3 
June 13 
Aug. 12 
Oct. 7 
Sept. 12 
Oct. 2 
Oct. 10? 
Oct. 
Dec. 1 

1864. 
Jan. 11 
Feb. 10 
Mar. 20 
April 19 
May 
May 

Aug. 

Oct. - 
Oct. 22 
Nov. 2' 
1865. 
Jan. 23 
April 11 
April — 



Where captured. 



Crystal river, Fla. 
St. Mark's light... 
Lat. 23° N., long. 8: 



AprU 24 
June 4 
May 12 
June 25 
July 
June 25 
June 5 
June 24 
Aug. 29 
Dec. 28 
Dec. 30 

1862. 
Mar. : 
Mar. : 
April : 
April : 



May e 



Jan. 
Jan. 



Near Matamoras. . . 

Red river 

Near Pasoagoula. . . 
Near Matsigorda. . . 

Off Rio Brazos 

At sea 

Off Alexandria, Va 



Jupiter inlet, Fla. 
Off New inlet 



Off Velasco 

Off Brazos river. . . . 
Near Indian river. 



Mobile Bay . 



Bahia, Brazil 

Off Charleston, S. C 
Lat. 23° N., long. 97' 



Off St. Mark's, Fla.. 
Crystal river, Fla.. 

Richmond, Va 

Roanoke river, N.C, 



Hampton roa 
Cape Henry. 

Charles! on.. 



Galveston. 



St. Mark's. Fla. 
Potomac river.. 
Rappahai nock river 

Pascagoula , 

Galveston 



Coast of Cuba 

Potecay creek, N. C 

Charleston 

Capture of Fori 
Macon 



Berwick's bay. 
Memphis 



Apalachicola river. 
Chesapeake bay. . . . 
St. John's river.... 
Cape Florida 



■ Orleans , 



By what vessel. 



Sagamore and Two 

Sisters 
Stars and Stripes 
Juniata 
Princess Royal 
Black Hawk 
Genesee 
Bermuda 
Tennessee 

A. Hugel 

Honeysuckle 

Florida 

Honeysuckle 

Owasco 

Chocura 

Bermuda 

W. Gulf blockadir.g 

squadron 
Wachusett 
Picket launches 
Princess Royal 

Fox 
Sea Bird 



Naval expedition 

Cvmiberlard 

Quaker City 

Niagara 

Dawn 

South Carolina 

Dawn 

Mohawk 

Daylicrht 
New London 
Santeo 



R. R. Cuylor 
Hui^chback, &c. 
Hui-on 
Gemsbok 



Hatteras 

Western flotilla 



Fort Henry 

Teazer 

T. A. "Ward 

Joint expedition 

Ariel 



FOR VIOLATION OF TIIE BLOCKADE. 



587 



Cargo. 



When 
cap- 
tured. 



Whore captured. 



By what vessel. 



Schooner.. 
Steamer.. 
Steamer. . 
Steamer. . 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Stoamer. . 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Steamer.. 
Steamer. . , 



Sloop 

Steamer.. 
Schooner. 
Steamer.. 
Sloop....... 



General Taylor- 
Glide , 



Granite City.. 

Georgiana 

Gertrude 



SuBpicious. 
Cotton.... 
Assorted... 



Golden Liner... 
General Prim. . . 

Golden Age 

Glen 

George 

General Worth 

Gold Leaf. 

General Beaure- 



Flour, Sugar, 
Cotton 



Cotton.. 
None.... 
General. 
None... 



Grey Jacket. 



G. Garibaldi... 
Gen. Sumter.. 



Steamer. 
Brig 



Good Hope 

Greyhound 

Gen. Finnegan. 
Georgiana Mc- 

Caw 

Georgia 

Geziena Hilli- 

gonda 



Salt & dry f 
Assorted.... 



Schooner., 
Bark 



Schooner... 
Schooner... 

Bark 

Schooner... 



Gen. Burkhart. Cotton.... 
Geo. Douthwaite, Sugar &c.. 

H. M. Johnson. I Assorted.. 

Hasall 

Hiawatha 



Schooner.. . 

Brig 

Sloop 

Brigantine. 
Schooner.. . 
Schooner... 
Schooner.. . . 
Schooner. . 
Schooner..., 
Schooner..., 
Steamer.... 
Schooner... 
Boat 



Molasses 

Herbert I 

Herald Naval stores . . . . 

H.Day I 

Hannah Balch..| 

H. Middleton. . . I Turpentine, &c. 

H. C. Brooks... ICotton, &c 

Henry Nutt.... 'Mahogany 

Harriet P. Ryan Rum, salt, Ac. 

Harmony iFlsh 

Harford Wheat, &c 

Henry Lewis. '^^'^•'''' 



&c.. 



Havelock Cigars and cotfee 

Henrietta I ' 



Sarahl 

Schooner.... I Henry Travers. Coffee, &;c. 



Schooner.... Harriet . 



Armed sloop 
Schooner.... 

Schooner.... 
Schooner.. . . 
Schooner.. . . 
Steamer.... 
Sloop 



Hannah. 
Hermosa 



i Drugs, <&c. 



Hampton ' Assorte 

Harriet i , 

Hettiwan Cotton. 

Home 



Hort^n.se. 



1863. 
Feb. 20 Chesapeake bay. 



Feb. 23 Tybee creek 

Mar. 22iAt sea 

Mar. 19| Charleston , 

April leEleuthera 

Mar. 20|St. Joseph's bay.. . , 
April 27|Morrell's inlet, S. C 

April24 Gulf of Mexico 

May 2V 



July 29 Caloosehatchee river 

Aug. 23'.. ...■.";!!."!.■."!!.■.' 



Dec. 12: Off Wilmington. 

Dec. 31 Off Mobile. 

186t 

Feb. 4 Jupiter inlet 

Mar. 12 j Lake George 

AprU 18 At sea, 
May 10 
May 

June 2 
Aug. 15 
Dec. 4 

18G5. 
Mar. 17 
Mav 8 

isei. 

May 31 



At sea 

Chashcowitzka river 
OflfWilm., N. Car. 
Coast of Portugal.. 
Olf Brazos, St. lago 
Texas 



Lat. 26°N., : 



Crusader and Ma- 
haska 

Marblehoad and 
Passaic 

Tioga 

Wissahickon 

Vanderbilt 

Ethan Allen 

Monticello 

Do Soto 

Yazoo Pass expedi- 
tion 

Cambria 

Gem of the Sea 

Sunflower 

Jacob Bell 



Kennebec 

Beauregard 
Dafl'odil and others 
Fox, tender to San 

Jacinto 
Connecticut 
Ariel, tender to San 

Jacinto 
Maratanza 



Niagara 
Pembina 



Coast of Florida. 



May 20 
May 29' 
June 10 



Near Cape Lookout, 
Hampton roads 



July 16 



Aug. 21 
Sept. 9 



April 21 
Sept. 18 
Nov. 22 
Dec. 15 
Nov. 13 

18G2 
May 14 
Mar. S 
June 5 
Aug. 12 
Oct. 30 

1863. 
Ian. 13 
Jan. 22 
Jan. 21 



Feb. 18 



Coast N. Car... 
Potomac river. 
Charleston. ... 



Ilatteras inlet. 



Hatteras , 

Pope's creek, Md... 
Mississippi sound. . , 

Cape Fear 

Chincoteague 



Newborn, N. Car. 
Lat. 28°N., long. 91' 



Dead Man's bay. 
Corpus Christi... 
S.abiue river 



Dividing creek, Va, 
Chuckatuck creek., 
Chai-leston 



Lat. 29°N., long. 84' 
W 



Quaker City 
Isonomia 

Perry 

Minnesota 

Brooklyn 
Union 

Lawre'ice 
Thomas Freeborn 
Wabash 
Vandalia 
Naval expedition 

Pawnee 

Gemsbok 

Resolute 

New London and R. 

R. Cuyler 
Jamestown 
Loiusiaua 

Rowan's expedition 

Bohio 

Isilda 

Arthur 

Connecticut 

Currituck 

Commodore Morrl? 
Ottowa 



Somerset, &c. 



588 



VESSELS CAPTIIEED AND DESTEOYED 



Cargo. 



When 
cap- 
tured. 



Where captured. 



By what vessel 



Sloop... 
Kebel armed 

steamer. . 
Schooner.. 
Schooner. . 
Schooner. . 
Schooner.. . 

Sloop 

Schooner... 



Schooner. 

Bark 

Steamer.. 
Steamer.. 
Steamer.. 
Schooner. 
Sloop 



Helen. 
Hart... 



Handv. 



Harvest 

Hunter 

Helena 

Henry Wolcott 

Hattie 

Harriet , 

H. McGuin 

Havelock (?)..., 

Herald 

Hebe 

Herald , 

Hancock , 



Assorted.. 
Assorted. . 



Sloop 

Sloop 

Schooner.. . . 
Steamer.... 

Steamer 

Sloop 

Steamer.... 

Rebel st'r. . . 

G-unboat UU' 

finished . , 

Schooner..., 

Schooner 

Schooner.... 



Schooner.. . . 

Brig 

Schooner.... 



Hope 

Hannah 

Henry Colthurst 

Hattie 

Hard Times. . . . 



Hope 

Hampton. 
Halifax... 



Cotton. 



Powder 

Assorted 

Lumber 

Cotton & tobacco 
Machinery. . 



1863. 
Mar. 24 
April - 

AprU 22 
AprU 30 
May 17 
June 30 
June 22 
June 21 
June 
July 
June 10 

Sept 
Aug, 
Oct. 23 
Dec. 24 

1864. 
Feb. 4 
Mar. 1] 
Feb. 20 
Mar. 14 
Mar. 
July 10 
Oct. 22 



Berwick's bay 

Lat. 26°N., long. 76° 

W 

Lat. 2S°N., long. 75° 

W 

Mobile 



Coast of N. Car. , 
Lat. 28°N., long. 

W 

Bay St. Louis.... 
Charleston 



Off NewinietVN.'c. 
Otf Fryingpan shoals 
Tampa bay 



Jupiter inlet 

041 Mosquito inlet.. 

San Luis Pass 

Near St. John's Fla. 
St. Mary's river. . . . 

Sapelo sound 

OffWUming-ton 

Richmond, Va 



Koanoke river, N. C. 



Industry 

Iris 

Island Belle 



Isabel or W. : 

King. 

Intended 



Hay, &c 

Naval stores 
Sugar 



Ida. 



ar, &c. 
Salt, &c... 
Assorted... 



Schooner... 
Schooner... 
Schooner.., 
Brig 



Sloop. 



Ida 

Inez 

Isabel 

Isabella Thomp- 

Isabflla 



Salt, &c. 
Cotton, <S 
None 



English sch, 
Steamer..,. 

Steamer..., 
Steamer. . . . 

Schooner. . , 
Schooner. . , 
Schooner.., 
Schooner.., 
Schooner. . 
Schooner. . 
Bark 



Indian. 
Isabel.. 



Munitions of 
war. 



J. H. Etheridce. 
John Hamilton. 
Jane Wright. . . . 

Julia 

Joseph H. Toone 

Judith 

Jorgen Lorent- 



Drugs, &c. 
Arms, &c.. 



1801 
May 15 
May 2" 
Dec. 31 

1862. 
Feb. 1 
May 1 
July 12 

1863. 
Mar. 4 
April 18 
May 18 
June 19 

May 22 

1864 
April 10 

ay 28 

July 4 
July 8 

1861 
May 15 
July - 
Aug. 2 



Hampton roads 

Bull's Island light*.! 

Atchafalaya bay 

New inlet, N. Car. . . 

Lat. 26°N., long. 76' 

W 



Charlotte harh'r Fla. 
Indian Kiver inlet. . 

MobUe 

Lat. 41° N., long. 

67° W 

Wacassassa bay 



Off Mobile 

Sapelo sound. 



Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner... 



Jane Campbell. 

J. W. Wilder.. 

Julia 

Joanna Ward. . 



None 

As.sorted. 



Coffee, lead, &c. 
Cotton 



Oct. 
Sept. 13 
Dec. 26 

Dec. 14 

1862, 
Jan. 20 
Jan. 24 
Feb. 24 



Hampton roads . . 



Potomac river 

Beaufort, N. Car... 

Barrataria bay 

Pensacola navy yard 
Lau 6" JS., Long 

37°W 

Beaufort, N. Car... 

Mobile bar 

New Orleans 

Lat. 30° N. 



Naval expedition 

Estrella 

Octorara 

Juniata 

Kanawha, &c. 

Ossipee 

Satellite 

Florida 

Tahoma 

Vincennes & Clifton 

S. Atlantic blockad'g 

squadron 
Tioga 

Niphon and others 
Calypso 
Sunflower 

Beauregard 

Virginia. 

Baft'odil and othere 

Para 

Ladona 

Eolus 

Naval expedition 

Minnesota 
Augusta 

Montgomery 

Jamestown 

Mercedita 

J. S. Chambers 
Gem of the Sea 
R. R. Cuyler 
United States 

Fort Henry 



Fleet off Mobile 
Sonoma 

Minnesota 
Daylight, &C. 
Thomas Freeborn 
Cambridge 
South Carolina 
Boat expedition from 

Colorado 
Morning Light 
State of Georgia 



i Harriet Lane 



Schooner. . . J. J. McNeil. .. 
Schooner... Julia Worden. 



Coffee, &c Jan. 25 Corpus Chiisti Arthur 

Rice, com, &c.. Mar. 27 Cape Roman P^s-'jj^gg|.jggg 



FOR VIOLATION OF THE BLOCKADE. 



589 



Cargo. 



Whoa 
cap- 
tured. 



Where captured. 



By what vessel. 



Schooner. 
SohoontT. 
Schooner. 

Steamer.. 
Sloop 



Jesse J. Cox. . . , 

Julia , 

Jane 



Cotton, &c. . 
Pig lead, &c. 



Jeff. Thompson, 

Jeff. Davis , 

John 



Schooner. 

Brig 

Schooner. 



Schooner. 



Sloop 

Sloop 

Schooner. 
Schooner. 

Steamer.. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 

Sloop 

Sloop 



J. J. Crittenden 

James 'Norcon.. 

Josephine 

John Gilpin.... 
John Thompson 
J. C. Rozer 



Com... 
Cotton. . 



1862. 
Mar. 25 
May 11 
May 3 

June 6 
Mar. 14 
April 8 

April 10 

Mar. 28 
July 28 



Mobile. 



Julia 

John C. Caliiouii 
J. C. McCabe... 
John Williams. . 



J. D Clark... 
Joe Flan II er.. 

Juniper 

Jane Adelie . . 
Justlna 



Salt 

Contraband.. 



Iron, &c. 



Assorted. . 
Cotton... 



Steamer. 
Sloop.. . 



John Walsh., 
John Wesley. 



i^ept. 2 
Dec. 3 

1863. 
Jan. 8 
Jan. 22 
Jan. 18 
Mar. 19 

April 8 
April 24 
May 4 
April 24 
April 23 

May 24 
June 16 



Lat. 26° N., long. 

83° W 

Memphis 

Nowbem 

Pasquotank river, 
N. Carolina 

No^vtogan creek, N. 
Carolina 

Little River, N. 0. . . 

Ship Matid, Miss. . . 
■ sound... 



Cayu?a. 
Kittatinny 
B. R. Cuyler. 
Western flotilla 
Vessels in sounds of 

North Carolina 
Cotumodorc Perry, 

&c. 

Shawsheen, &c. 

Hatteras 

ICatahdin 



Wilmingto 



Jupiter inlet 

Chuckatuck creek . . 

James river 

Lat. 26° N., long. 

76° W 

Red river 

Mobile 



Gulf of Mexico 

Lat. 28° N., long. 
78° W 



James Battle. 
J. T. Davis... 
Jur.o 



Cotton... 
Assorted. 



Jenny. 



134 bales of cot- 
ton 



Schooner. 
Schooner. 



Jupiter. 

lan.i.... 



lei ny 

John Scott., 



Cotton... 
Assorted. 



Schooner. 
Sloop. 



Mexican sch 
Schooner. .. 
Schooner... 

Steamer 

Sloop 

Schooner... 
Schooner... 

Sloop 

Schooner... 



Schooner... 
Steamer... 

Schooner.. 

Schooner.. 

Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 



John Douglass.. 

Josephine 

Juanita 

Julia A. Hodges 

Judson 

Jupiter 

Julia 

J'ames Williams 
John 



Salt 

Assorted . 
Cotton... 



Julia. 
Julia. 



Medicines, &c . 



Assorted., 
Cotton... 



.Josephine . . 
John Hale. 



Cotton... 
Lead, &c. 



Salt 

Salt, i:c. 



July 17 
Aug. 10 
Sept. 22 



Sept. 13 

Oct. — 
Oct. 6 

1864. 
Jan. 7 

Feb. 29 
Mar . 24 
April 11 
April 6 
April 30 
June 27 

July 12 
Sept. 11 
Oct. 28 
Nov. 5 

Dec. 5 
Dec. 23 

1865. 
Jan. 14 



Lat. 28° N., long. 

83° W 

Lat. 25° N., long. 

76° W 



Rio Grande 

Off Wilmington, N, 

Car 

Off Rio Grande 



Feb. 



Off Mobile 

OffVelasco, Texas.. 
Saversota sound.... 
Off San Luis Pass... 

Matagorda hay 

Off Mobile bar 

At sea 

Off Sapolo sound.... 

Off Galveston 

Off Velasco 

Off Alexandria, Va. 
Lat. 26° N., long. 

96° W 

Near Velasco, Texai= 
Alligator creek, S. C. 

Off Brazos, St. lago, 
Texas 

Coast of Florida . . . . 



Cambridge 

Sagamore 

Commodore Morris 
Zouave 
Octorara 

Hartford 
Pembina 
Kanawha 
De Soto 
Tioga 

Yazoo Pass expedi- 
tion 
Circassian 
Tioga 

De Soto, &c. 
Cayuga 

Connecticut 
Virginia 



Cimarron & Kan- 
tucket 
Tennessee 
Virginia 

Kennebec and oth- 
ers 
Penobscot 
Sunflower 
Virginia 



Conemaugh 

Proteus 

Nipsic 

Penobscot 

Augusta Dinsmore 

Adolph Uugel 

Fort Morgan 

Chocura 

Acacia 

Seminole 
Matthew Vassax 



Schooner... Kate. 

Sloop Kate. 

Sloop I Kate. 

Steamer..., I Kate. 



Assorted. 
Cotton... 
Assorted. 

None.... 



April 2 Wilmington 

Dec. 27; St. Mark's river 

1863. 

Feb. 25| 

May 28 Point Isabel light. . . 

June 23 1 Indian river 

Aug. lINew Inlet, N. C 



Potomac flotilla 

Brooklyn 

Pursuit 

James Adgor, &a 



590 



VESSELS CAPTURED AND DESTROYED 



Cargo. 



Where captured. 



By what vessel. 



Steamer. 
Steamer. 



Sloop. 



Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 



Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 

Schooner. 
Propeller. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 



Schooner . 



Bchooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Steamer.. 
Schooner. 

Schooner . 

Brig 

Sloop 

Sloop 

Steamer. . 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 



Bark. 



Schooner. 
Schooner. 



Steamer.., 
Steamer.., 
Schooner. 

Sloop , 

Schooner. 

Schooner. 
Steamer.. 
Steamer. . 
Schooner. 
Steamer.. 

Sloop 

Steamer.. 



1863 
July 14 



Kate Dale. 



Laurie 

Lynchburg.. 

Louisa 

Leon 

Louisa , 

Louisa Agne 
Lida 



Wood... 
Coffee.... 
Lumber. . 



Lizzie Weston . 
Labuan 

Lynnhaven.... 



Lion 

Lizzie Taylor. . . 
Lydia and Mary 

Lookout 

Lafayette 

Liverpool 

Lewis White- 
more 

Lucy C. Holmes. 

Lion 

LaCrioUa 

Little Rebel.... 
Louise 



Fish 

Coffee, cigars. 

&c. 
Cotton 



Coffee, powder, 
&c 



Rice and com.. 

Corn 

Cotton 



Cotton .. 

Shingles. 
Assorted. 



Lucy 

Lilla 

L. Rebecca.... 

Lizzie 

Lodona 

Lonely Bell. . . . 
Louisa 



Cotton 

Cotton, &c. 
Drugs, &c. 
Sugar, &c.. 
Assorted . . . 
It, &c... 

Corn 

Assorted.. 



Oct. 16 

1861. 
Mav 4 
May 30 
July 4 
July 2.5 
Aug. 11 
Sept. 9 
Dec. 1 

1862. 
Jan. 19 
Feb. 1 
Feb. 

Feb. 5 
Mar. 4 
Mar. 9 
April — 
April 4 
April 10 
May 6 
May 27 
Mar. 28 
May 29 
Jime 6 
June 19 
June 20 
uly 3 
June 21 
Aug. 2 



Tampa bay. 



Hampton roads 

Chesapeake bay.... 

Galveston 

Potomac river 

Cape Fear river . . . . 
Beaufort, N. Car.... 
Off St 



Boca Chica 

ElizabcthCity,N. C. 
Lat.26° N.,long. 93° 



Newborn 

Cape Roman passage 
Potomac river 



Atsea 

Pantago creek,N. C 

Charleston 

Memphis 



Lat. 29° N., long. 83° 
W 

Hole in the WaU.... 



Coast of North Caro- 
lina 

Ossabaw sound 

Powell's Point 



La Manche. 



Tobacco 

Turpentine. 
Powder, &c. 
Salt 



Little Magruder. 
Lightning . . 



Laui-a Dudley., 
Ladies' Delight, 

Linnet , 

Lady Walton.., 

Lizzie , 

Lady Maria 

I Louisville 

Last I'rial 

Lizzie Davis... 



Steamer Le\-iathan . 

Steamer... .Laura 

Boat iLydia 



Cotton... 
Sait.'.'.*.'.'." 
Lead, &c. 



Merchandise.... 
Cotton and tur- 
pentine 



Aug. 2: 
Aug. 3 
Nov. 30 

1S63. 
Jan. 19 



April 2' 
May 14 
May 21 
June — 
July 15 
July 6 
OcV. 
Sept. 16 



Charleston 

Lat. 38° N., long. 69° 
W 

Lat. 2T N., long. 76° 



Atsea 

New inlet. 



New Orleans, La... 
White House 



Lat. 27° N., long. 86° 



Urbana, Va 

Lat. 26° N,, loug.84' 



White river 

Lat. 27° N., long.76' 



Lat. 25° 58' N., long. 
85°irW 



Sept. 22 Off Southwest Pass. 

1864. I 
Jan. 18, Ockockney river... 

Feb. 4, Jupiter inlet 



R. R. Cuyler 



Cumberland 
Quaker City 
South Carolina 
Thomas Freeborn 
Penguin 
Cambridge 
Seminole 



Kingfisher 
Rowan's expedition 

tless 
Potomac flotilla 
Pursuit. 
Keystone State 
Colorado 

Santiago de Cuba 
Delaware 
Bienville 
Western flotilla 
Albatros 
Beauregard 
Quaker City 
Bohio 
Penobscot 
Unadilla 
General Putnam 
Bienville and Pem- 
bina 

Ino 

Santiago de Cuba 

W. G. Anderson 
Mount Vernon 

Admiral Farr.agufs 

fleet. 
Mahaska, &c. 
Bienville 
McClellan 
Currituck, &c 
Union 

Naval boat exp'n 
Santiago de Cuba 
De Soto and others 
Red river expedit'a 
Beauregard 

San Jacinto 
De Soto 

Stars and Stripes 
Beauregard 



FOR VIOLATION OF THE BLOCKADE. 



591 



Cargo. 



When 
Cap- 
tured. 



AVTicrc captured. 



By what vcsboI. 



Munitions 
war 



Schooner... 

Schooner.., 
English sch 



Steamer. . . 
Steamer... 
Steamer... 
Schooner.. 
Schooner... 
Steamer... 
Schooner... 
Schooner.. . 
Sloop 

Schooner... 
Schooner .. 
Schooner... 
Schooner... 

Schooner. . 
Schooner.. 
Schooner. . 
Steamer... 

Schooner. . 
Schooner.. 
Schooner. . 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Ix)ngboat.. 
Schooner.. 

Bark 

Schooner., 
Schooner. . 
Schooner.. 

Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 

Sloop 

Sloop 

Steamer... 
Pilot boat. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner. . 
Schooner. , 
Schooner.. 
Schooner. . 
Schooner.. 



Linda... 

Lilly.... 

Lauretta 

LiUy.... 

Laura. . . 

Last 

Little 



Lilian 

Lynx 

Lucy 

Louisa 

Louisa 

Lady Sterling 



Cotton, &c. 
Assorted. . . . 



Lucy , 

Little Ehnere.. 



Assorted.. 
Assorted.. 



Medicines, &c.. 



Louisa 

Lowood 

Lady Hurley. 



Lilly 

Louisa 

Lecompte... 
Lady Davis. 



Cotton.... 
Assorted. 



Bagging & Salt 
Crockery, &c... 



18G4. 
Feb. 11 
Mar. 11 
Fob. 28 
Mar. 1 
April 17 
April T 
June 30 
July 9 
Aug. 24 
Sept. 25 
Nov. 2 
Oct. 15 
Oct. 12 
Oct. 31 
Oct. 12 
Oct. 21 
Nov. 9 
Nov. 6 
Nov. 24 
Deo. 4 
Dec. 6 

18G5. 
Jan. 6 
Feb. 18 
May 25 



Off Brazos River 



Off Mosquito inlet. 
Off Velasco, Texas. 
Off Indian llivcr. . . 
Off Velasco 



Queen 

Beauregard and Nor- 
folk packet 
Penobscot 
Roebuck 



Jupiter inlet. 
At sea 



Off New inlet, N. C. 
Lat. 32° 40' N., long. 

77" 48' W 

Off San Luis Pass. . . 
Near Aransas Pass. 
Off Wilmington.... 
Off Aransas Pass, 

Texas 



Off Bajrport, 
Mobjack bay, Va 
' -"N.,l< 



^OS" 



Mary & Vii'ginia 
Mary Willis.. 

Mary 

Mary Clinton. 
McCanfield... 

Mary 

Monticello .... 
Morning Star. 
Mary Alice... 

Macao 

Mary Wood.. 
Mary E. Pindar 
Mabel 



Coal.... 
Tobacco.. 



Rice, &c. 
Lumber... 
None 



May 4 

May 14 

May 15 

May 30 

July 4 

July 13 

July 26 



Coffee... 
Salt, &c. 



Sept. 



Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Steamer... 
Steamer... 
Schooner.. 
Schooner. . 
Schooner. . 



Major Barbour. . 

Mars 

Mary Lewis... . 

Margaret, alias 

Wm. Henry. . 

Magnolia 

Mary Olivia.... 

Monterey 

Mersey 

Maria 

Magnet 

Mary Teresa.... 

Magriolia 

Monitor 

Mary Stewart. . . 
Morning Star. . . 
Modem Greece.. 



Memphis 

iMaU 

I Mary Elizabeth. 
I Monte Christo.. 



Powder, &c. 
Salt 



None 

Salt, coffee 

Salt, cigars, <fcc.. 

Cotton 

Drugs, &e 

Cotton 

Salt, &c., *.!!..".! 
Salt, acids, &c... 
Munitionsof war 
Cotton, resin... 



Salt, fruit, &c. 
Cotton. 



3 
5 
9 

Sept. 22 
Nov. 15 

1862. 
Jan. 28 
Feb. 5 
Jan. 25 
Feb. c| 
Feb. 19 
April 2 
April ~ 
April 26 
April 30 

May'io 
May 1 
June — 
June 3 
June 27 



July 31 
Aug. 1 
Aug. 24 
July 10 



Lat. 
W 

Bar of St. Bernard . . 
Near Velasco, Texas 
Off Velasco, Texas. . 

Off Galveston, Texas 
Arkansas Pa.ss, Texas 
Galveston, Texas... 
Charleston, S. 

Hampton Roads.... 



Mouth of Mississippi 

Galveston 

North Carolina.... 
Rappahannock river 
Potomac river 

Mouth of Mississippi 
Hatteras inlet 

Lat. srN., long. 8U° 
W 

Racoon Point, La. . . 

Fcmandina 

Mantle river, Fla. . . 
Isle au Briton 

Pass a I'Outre 

Apalachicola 

Potomac river 

Lat. 31° N., long. 79° 

W 

Charleston 

Fernandina 

Charleston 

Berwick bay 

Piankatank river... 

Santee river 

Frying Pan shoals. . ] 
Near Fort Fisher. . . 
At sea 

Wilmington 

Coast of Texas 



Roebuck 
Gettysburg 
Keystone State and 

others 
Niphon and others 
Santiago de Cuba 
Mobile 
Chocura 
Calypso, Eolus, Fort 

Jackson 
Chocura 
Bird 
Stepping Stones 

Fort Morgan 
Chocura 



Metacomet 
Penobscot 
Coruubia 



Cumberland 
Minnesota 

Powhatan 
South Carolina 
Roanoke 
Daylight 
Freeborn 



Brooklyn & St.Louis 

Pawnee 

Gemsbok 

Dale 

De Soto 
Keystone State 
Kingfisher & others 
Sciota 

Brooklyn and others 
Mercedita, &c. 
Potomac river 
Santiago do Cuba 



Anacostia 
Gem of the Sea 
Bienville 
Cambridge, Stars & 

Stripes 
Magnolia 
Freeborn 

Stars & Stripes, &c. 
Arthur 



592 



VESSELS CAPTUEED AND DESTROYED 



Cargo. 



When 

cap- Wliere captured, 
tured. 



By what vessel 



Mary Ann. 
Mustang... 
M:'.ria 



Schooner... 
Schooner... 

Ship 

Ship 

Sloop — . .. 

Sloop 

Schooner.. . . 
Schooner.... 

Steamer 

Schooner... 

Brig 

Brig 

Schooner.. . 
Schooner. . . 
Schooner.. . 
Schooner... 

Brig 

Schooner... 
Schooner.... 



Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 

Schooner.. 
Steamer... 
Steamer.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner . 
Steamer... 
Steamer.. 
Sloop 



Metropolis.. 

Milan 

Music 

Mercury 

Matilda 

Margaret... 

Moro 

Mail 

Minna 

Magicienne. 

Mary Jane. 

innie 



Schooner.. . . 
Schooner.. . . 
British stmr 
British stmr 

Steamer.... 

Schooner.... 
Schooner.. . . 
Schooner.. . . 



Sloop 

Schooner. 



Steamer. . 
Schooner. 



Sloop 

Schooner.. 
British soh. 



Molasses, 10,170 
gallons. 



Feb. — 
Nov. 12 



Dec. 19 
Dec. 25 



^Kensington, &c. 

Coast of Texas '■ Arthur 

Sabine Pass > Kensington, &c. 

Baton Eouge Iesscs 

T. A. Ward 
Bahamas Octorara 



New Orleans, La. 



Jan. 22 
Jan. 4 



Cotton 

Pork, salt, &c. . 



Chuckatuoli creek., 

Charleston. 

Matagorda bay 

Lat. 27° N., long. 8; 



Feb. 



Salt, drugs, &c.. 



Mattie 

Maggie Fulton . 

Minnie 

Major E. Willis 
Martha Ann. . . . 



Maria Bishop.. 
Mignionelte... 

Mississippian . . 

Mobile 

Magnolia 

Maiy Jane 

Miriam 

Men'imack 

Massachusetts. 

Music 

Montgomery. . . 



Salt, soap, &c. 
Cotton , 



Coffee, salt, &c.. 

General 

Salt 



Assorted 

Merchandise, lot 

of. 

Cotton 

Sutler's stores.. 
Money, $10,455. 
Cotton 



3 

Feb. 23 
Feb. 18 
Jan. 
Mar. 24 
April 6 

April 13 
April 
April 20 
April 19 
April 24 
May 13- 

14 
May 17 
May 19 
June 1 
May 19 



Shallot inlet 

Lat.22''N., long. 28 



Wilmington 

Lat. 26° N., long. 82' 



Lat. 23° N., long 81 

W 

Indian river inlet. 

Bull's bay , 

Charleston 

Chesapeake bay. . . , 
Urbana, Va 



At sea 

Piney I'ouit 

Lawson's bay, Va. 
Gulf of Mexico. . . 
Yazoo City 



Cotton , 

Turpentine, <fcc, 



Mack Canfield. 

May 

Mail 

Martha Jane. . . 

Margaret an 

Jessie 

Matamoras... . 
Marshal J.Smith 
Maria Albei-ta 



Cotton 

Cargo of 

Cotton & specie. 



June 18 

Juiy 24 
July 
Sept. 1 
Sept. 13 

Aug. 25 



Cleiirwater harbor., 
Brazos Santiago. . . . . 
New inlet, N. C... 

Baltimore, Md 

Potomac river 

Lat. 28° 32' N., long 

8&°12W 

Rio Grande 



Assorted. 
Cotton..., 



Magnolia.., 
Mary Ann. 



Spirits and med- 
icines 

Cotton 



Minna 

Mary Campbell, 



Mayflower 

Minnie 

Maria Louise.. 

Mary 

Mary Ann 

M. P. Burton.. 



Cotton..., 
Assorted. 
Cotton... 



Marion. 



Iron and shot. 
Assorted 



Get. 
Oct. 20 



Nov, 

Dec. 9 

Nov. 27 

Dec. 16 

Nov. 26 

Dec. 9 

Nov. 14 

1864. 

Jan. 1 

Jan. 15 

Jan. 10 

Jan. 19 

Mar. 6 

Mar. 11 

Mar. 12 



At sea 

Near Cedar Keys. . . 



Off Wilmington . 



Off Rio Grande.. 

Off Mobile 

Bayport, Florida. 



Lat. 26° 15' N., long. 
82° W 

Lat. 26° 22' N., Ion? 



long. 



Lat 23° 48' N 

78° 3'W... 

Near Peusacola 



Sarasope Pass, Fla. 

Mosquito inlet 

Jupiter inlet 



Off Wilmington.... 
Lat. 28° 60' N., long, 

95° 5' W 

Gulf of Mexico 



Admiral Farragut'a 
fleet 

Commodore Morris. 
Quaker City 
Henry Janes, &c. 
Tahoma, &c. 
Queen of the West 
Potomac flotilla 
A'ictoria 

Onward 

State of Georgia, &c. 

Huntsville. 

Annie 

Gem of the Sea 

La dona 

Powhatan 

Western World, &c. 

CuiTituck, &c. 

Courier 

Sophronia 

Primrose, &c. 

De Soto 

Yazoo Pass exped'n 

Tahoma 
Itasca 
Iroquois 
Yankee 
Adolph Hugel 
De Soto 

W. G. Anderson 
Coeur de Lion, <S:c. 
Honduras & otbers 
Anne, tender to Fort 

Henry 
Keystone State and 

others 
Owasco and Virginia 
Kennebec 
Two Sisters, tender 

to San Jacinto 
Ariel, tender to San 

Jacinto 
Antona 

Circassian 



Union 

Beauregard 

Roebuck 



FOR VIOLATION OP THE BLOCKADE. 



593 



Cargo. 



When 

cap- Where captured, 
tured. 



By what vessel. 



Schooner. . . Mai-y Sorley.. . 

Schooner... Mandoline 

British sch... Maria Alfred.. 



Eng.steamer 



Cotton.., 
Assorted. 



English sch. 

Schooner. . . 

Steamer. . . . 
Steamer. . . . 

Schooner.... 

Schooner.. . . 

Schooner.... 



Schooner... 

Schooner... 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 

Schooner... 

Schooner.. . 

Schooner.. 
Steamer... 
Steamer... 
Iron-clad 
(rebel) 
Steamer. . . 



Ship.. 
Brig., 



Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 



Steamer. . 

Brig 

Schooner.. 



Schooner.. 
Schooner. 
Steamer.. 



Steamer.. 
Steamer.. 
Sloop 



Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Steamer.. 
Schooner.. 
Steamer.. 
Steamer.. 



Mary Agnes..., 

Matilde , 

Malta 



Mary..., 
Morgan. 



Sloop. 



Miriam.... 
M. O'Neill. 



Cotton, gold, to- 
bacco, &c 



1864. 1 

April 4 Off Galveston 

April 13 Atchafalaya bay 

„ Lat. 28° 50' N., long. 

SS-S'W 

May 9, Lat. 34° N., long. 75° 

28'W. 

April. 29 Lat. 25° 25' N., long. 
84°30'W 



Matagorda. 
Matagorda. 



Mary Bowers. 

Medcra 

Mary 



Mary Am 
Morris. . . 



Cotton.... 
Cotton, &c. 
Cotton 



May 5 Off Washington, N. 

Carolina. 
July 8 Off coast of Texas . . 
t. 10 Lat. 22° 50' N., long. 

85° 47' W. 
Oct. 29 Off Charleston, S. C. 



Pascagoular bar. .... 

Lat. 32° N., long. 78° 

W. 
Off Pass Cabello, Tex 
Gulf of Mexico 



Mary Ellen. 
Matilda., 



In ballast. . , 
Cotton, &c. 
Cordage, w 



Hope, liquors, 

&c. 
Cotton 



Shoes, rum, &c. 



Dec. 

Dec. 

Dec. 19 

1865. 

Jan. 3 

Feb. 11 

Feb. 18 

Feb. 11 

Mar. 3 

Mar. 16 



Mary T. Cotton. 



North Carolina. 
Nahum Stetson. 



In ballast.... 
Specie, .$2,000. 



Napoleon. . . 
New Island. 
Newcastle. . . 



Cotton, &c.. 



New Eagle. 

Nassau 

Napier 

Nathan'l Tajlor 



Nellie 

Nonsuch 

Neustra Souora 

de Regla, 
Naniope 



Turpentine, &c. 



Cotton.... 
Rifles, &o. 
Salt 



Drngs, &c.. 
Coffee, &c. 



Sugar, &c.. 



Nashville. . 
Nicolailst. 
Neptune. . . 



Nellie 

New Year. 
Nymph.... 
Natchez... 
Nanjemoy. 

Nita 

Neptune. . . 



Cotton, ifcc. 
General 



June 



May 14 
June 19 

1862. 
Mar. 14 
April 2 
May 11 

May 15 
May " 
July 29 
April 8 



1863. 
Feb. 28 
Mar. 21 
April 19 

Mar. 
April 26 
AprU 22 
M!ay 
July 15 



Off Vclasco, Texas.. 
Off Pass Cabello, Tex 
Aransas Pass, Texas 

Near Pass Cabello, 

Texas. 
Bayou Vermillion, 

Louisiana. 
Indian river, Fla... 



Scioto 
Nyanza 
Rachel Seaman 

Connecticut 

Honeysuckle 

Valley City 

Kanawha and others 
Magnolia 

S. Atlantic Block. 

Squadron 
J. P. Jackson and 

Stockdale 
Mackinaw 

Itasca 
Pocahontas 

Kanawha 
Penobscot 



Glide 
Pursuit 



Hampton roads 

Mouth of Mississippi 



Newborn 

Apalachicola 

Lat. 23° N., long. 



Coast of Cuba. 
Wilmington . . . 



Minnesota 
Brooklyn, &C. 



Rowan's expedition 
Mercedita, &c. 
Bainbridge 



Pasquotank river, N. 

Carolina. 
Ossabaw Sound, Oa. 

Bahama Banks 

Port Royal 



Fort McAllister.. 
Cape Fear river. 
Charleston. 



Port Royal.... 

Tortugas 

Coast of Texas 



V. 



June 14 Lat. 25' N., long. 85' 



Nutfield M'nitions of war Feb. 4 New river inlet . 

Nan-Nan Cotton Feb. 24 Suwannee rive . 

Nina Assoi-ted Feb. 27 Indian river.... 



Sea Foam 

State of Georgia, &c. 
Mount Vernon, c&c. 
Commodore Perry, 

&c. 
Alabama 
Tioga 
General Sherman, 

a. 
Diana 

Montauk 

Victoria, &c 

S. Atlantic Block. 

Squadron 
South Carolina 
Sagamore 
Rachel Seaman 
Yazoo Pass exped'n 
Yankee 
DeSoto 
Lackawanna 



Nita 
Roebuck 



594 



VESSELS CAPTUEED AND DESTEOTED 



Cargo. 



Where captured. 



By "what 



Sloop 

Steamer. . 
Schooner.. 



Steamer. , 

Iron-clad 

(rebel). 

Bark 

Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Pungy..., 
Schooner. 
Sloop 

Schooner. 
Schooner. 

Sloop 

Steamer. . 
Sloop. . . . . 
Bchooner. 



Barkantine, 

Schooner.., 

Schooner. . . 
Steamer..., 
British sch. 



Neptune 

Night Hawk. 
Nepttine 



Cotton...., 
In ballast, c 



1864. 
May 



Tampa bay. 



Nanscmond. . 

Nashville. . . . 



Octavia 

Olive Branch. 
Ocean Wave.. 
Ocean Wave.. 

Olive 

Osceola 



Ijumber.. 
None.... 



Olive Branch... 

Ocilla 

O. K 

Old North State. 

Octavia 

Orion 



Turpentine. 



Ocoan Eagle 



Turpentine, &c. 



Oliver S. Breeze 

Oconee 

Ocean Bird 



Sloop , 

Eng. schn'r, 
Schooner.., 

Schooner. . , 

Bark , 

Ship 

Bark 

Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner. ., 
Schooner. . 

Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 

Sloop 

Schooner.. 
Steamer. . . 



O.K. 

Oramoneta.. 



Assorted 

M'nitionsol'war 



Oregon. 



Steamer. , 
Schooner 
Schooner 
Schooner 
Steamer. 
Schooner 
Sloop.... 
Boat.... 

Sloop.... 
Schooner 
Steamer. 
Steamer. 
Steamer. 
Sloop, . . . 



Pioneer 

Perthshire 

Pilgrim 

Petrel 

Prince Leopold, 
Piince Alfred... 
Prince of Wales, 



P. A. Sanders. 

Palma 

Pioneer 

President 

P. C. Wallis.. 

Poody 

Patras 

Providence..., 

Princeton 

Planter 



Salt 

Cotton. . 
liiquor. 
None... 



Cotton 

Rosin, pitch, &c 
Assorted. . . . 
Pow'r. arms, &c 
Salt, cigars, &c. 
Drugs, &c 



Post Boy... 
Pathfinder. 
Pointer . . . 
Prize 



Potter 

Pride 

Pearl 

Princess Royal 

Peterhoff 

Petee 



Oysters, &c. — 

Salt, drugs, &c , 



1865. 
April — 
May 10 



May 16 
June 23 
Sept. 9 
July 18 
Nov. 22 
Dec. 9 

1862. 
Jan. 21 
Jan. 10 
Feb. — 
Mar. 14 
April 2 
July 24 

Oct. 14 
Deo. — 

1863. 
Jan. 19 

April 15 

May 16 
Aug. — 
Oct. 23 

1864. 
May 1 

AprU 27 
April 18 

Aug. 24 

1861. 
May 25 
June 9 
June 7 
July 28 
Aug. 22 
Sept. 28 
Dec. 24 

1862. 
Mar. 14 

Feb. 20 
Mar. 16 
April 4 
May 17 
May 26 
May 29 
June — 
May 7 
Mar. 14 
Nov. 2 
Oct. 31 
Dec. 20 

1863. 
June 3 
June 21 
June 20 
June 29 
Feb. 25 
Mar. 10 



19 Olf Brazos de Santi- 
ago, Texas. 



Richmond, Va. 



Hampton roads. 



Hatteras ialet. 
Potomac river. 



Coast of Florida. 
Cedar Keys 



Newbern 

Appalachioola , 

Lat. 22° N., long. 87 

W. 
Coast of Carolina. . 



New Orleans 

Little River inlet, N, 
Carolina. 

Anclote Key 

Near Savannah 

Off St. Augustine in- 
let. 

Lat. 26° 5' N., long, 

83° 20' W. 
Coast of Florida . . . . 
Off St. Augustine, 

Florida. 
BUoxi bay 



Hampton roads.. 
Gulf of Mexico. . 
Pass k I'Outre... 

Charleston 

New York 

Hatteras inlet... 
Georgetown 



Newbern. 



Rio Grande 

Mississiijpi river. 
Pass Christiana. . 
Vermillion bay.., 
Charleston , 



Tortugas banks.. 
Pamunkey river 



Potomac river. 
Frying Pan sho 



Sunflower 
Niphon 
Princess Royal 



Star 

Massachusetts 
Pawnee 
Resolute 
New London, i 



Kingfisher, &c. 
Hatteras 
Santiago de Cuba 
Rowan's expedition 
Mercedita 
Quaker City 

Memphis 
Calhoun 

Admiral Farragut's 

fleet 
Monticello 

Two Sisters 

Norfolk packet 



Fox, tender to S. 

Jacinto 
Union 
Beauregard 

Narcissus 

Minnesota. 

Massachusetts. 

Brooklyn. 

St. Lawrence. 

Collector of the port 

Susquehanna 

Gem of the Sea 

Rowan's expedition 

Portsmouth 
Owasoo 
Hatteras, &c. 
Hatteras 
Bienville 

Susquehanna 

Currituck 

Vessels in sounds ol 

N. Carolina 
Penobscot 
Reliance 
Octorara 

Currituck 
Chocura 
Tioga 

Unadilla, &c. 
Vanderbilt 
Gem of the Sea 



FOR VIOLATION OF THE BLOCKADE. 



Cargo. 



"Whcro captiu-od. 



By what vess 



Schooner... 
Schooner. . . 
Steamer.... 

Steamer 

Steamer.... 

Steamer. . . . 

Steamer 

Sloop 

Steamer.... 
Schooner... 
Schooner... 
Schooner... 
Small boat. . 
Steamer. . . . 
Bloop 

Bchooner... 

Sloop 

Steamer 

Rebel steam. 

Ram 

Schooner . . . 

Sioop 

Schooner... 
Schooner... 
Schooner. . . 
Armed rebel 
schooner.. 

Sloop 

Schooner... 
Schooner... 
Schooner . . . 
Schooner. . . 
Schooner. . . 
Schooner. . . 
Schooner... 
Schooner.. . 
Steamer. . . . 
Schooner... 
Schooner... 
Schooner... 

Brig 

Schooner... 
Schooner... 

Schooner. . . 

Sloop 

Schooner. . . 
Steamer... . 

Sloop 

Sloop 

Sloop 

Schooner. . . 
Schooner... 
Schooner... 
Schooner... 

Steamer 

Kam 



'Paciflquc | 

■ Pushmataha j Cotton , 

Planter Cotton, 

:Powerful 



1863. 

Mar. 27^St. Mark's , 

June IS'Tortugas , 

"at. 27° N., long. 80' 
W 



June 15 

Dec. 20 Suwannee river..., 



'Presto 

'r 

Persis 

Pevenscy.... 

Pocahontas Cotton & tobacco 

Prince Albert. 

Pancha Larispa.! Gunny bags, &c 

Peep O'Day 'Cotton 

Petrel I Munitions 

Pickwick Contraband of w. 



Cotton 

Iron, liquors, &c 



18G4. 
Feb. 2'Suliivan's island.. 



Feb. IG 
Mar. 
June 
July 
Oct. 29 
Oct. 27 



Pet 

Phantom 

Philadelphia, . . . 
Patrick Henry . 

Qu'noftheWest 



Ring Dove 

Richard Lacey.. 

Remittance 

Revere 

Reindeer 

Royal Yacht.... 



Rattler 

Rose 

Reindeer 

R. C. Files 

Rebecca 

Rowena 

Rich'd 0. Bryan 

Resolution 

Reindeer 

Reliance 

Rambler 



Rising Sun 

Revere 

Robert Bruce .. 

Reindeer 

Racer 



Rising Dawn... 

Richards 

Rowena 

Rose Hamilton, 
Relanpagj 



Ranger 

Rising Dawn.., 
Royal Yacht..., 

Ripjple , 

Rapid 

R. J. liockland 
Republic 



Iron, &c 

Wood 

Tobacco, &c... 
Salt, fish, &c... 
Salt 



Dec. 15 
Dec. G 

1865, 
Feb. 
Mar. 
Jan. 
April — 

1863. 
April - 

1861. 
July 16 



Aug, 
Sept. 10 



Fire-arms. 



Cottou 

None 

Cotton 

Salt , 

Lead, &c.. 
Drugs, <&c. 

Wood 

Cotton 



Salt, &c... 
Shoes, &c. 

Cotton 

Salt 



Ifov. 7 

1862. 
Jan. 10 
April 2 
April 20 

May 29 
Juno 6 
June 4 
April 4 
July 9 
July 21 



Sept. 5 

Oct. 11 

Oct. 22 

Sept. 17 

Oct. 30 



Salt , 

Salt, coffee, &c. 



Jan. 10 
Feb. 1. 



Coflee, &c.. 
Assorted.... 
Powder, &c. 

Salt, <fec 

Cotton 



Mar. 
Mar. 

April 
May 
April 
May 



Otf Lockwood's Fol- 
ly inlet 

Off Wassaw sound 
Ga 



Off Charleston, S. C, 
OffVelaeco, Texas., 
Near Indian river, 

Fla : 

New inlet, N. C 

Coast of Florida. . . . 



Galveston bay 

Suwannee river. . . . , 
Sounds of N. Car.., 
Richmond, Va , 



Red river, Ark. 



Beaufort, K. C. 



Galveston. 



Cedar Keys... 
Appalaohicola . , 
Potomac river.. 

Mobile 

Charleston...., 
Stono inlet..... 
Coast of Texas., 
Pass Christian.. 
Coast of Texas. , 



Cape Fear river. . . 

Shallot inlet, N.C. 



New inlet, N. C. 



Bocos Grande , 



Carson's landing. . . . 
Charlottehaxbor,Fla 
Lat. 26° N., long. 76° 

"W 

Crystal river 

New inlet 

Galveston 

Mobile 

Gulf of Mexico 



Yazoo City. 



Stars and Stripes 
Sunflower 
Lackawanna 
Fox, tender to S. Ja- 
cinto 
Connecticut 

Lehigh and others 
Montgomery 

Massachusetts and 

others 
Newljern 
Azalia and Sweet 

Brier 
S. Atlantic Blockad- 

ig sq\iadron 
Sciota 

Pursuit 



Boat expedition 
Honeysuckle 



Estrolla, &c. 

Potomac flotilla 
Thomas Freeborn 
Yankee 
Cambridge 
Dart 

Expedition from 
Santee 

Hatteras 

Merccdita, &c. 

Potomac flotilla 

Kanawha 

Bienville 

Pawnee and others 

Rhode Island 

Hatteras 

Arthur 

Hunts ville 

Connecticut 

Wyandank 

Monticello, &c. 

Penobscot 

G. Anderson 
Daylight 

Octorara 
Two Sisters 

•Era 
Conestoga, &c 
J. S. Chambers 
Octorara 

Fort Henry. &o. 
Mount Vernon, &c. 

G. Anderson 
Kanawha 
De Soto 
Yazoo Puss cspcd'n 



596 



VESSELS CAPTURED AND DESTROYED 



Cargo. 



Where captured. 



By what vessel. 



Sloop 

Schooner. . 

Sloop 

Schooner. . 
Schooner.. 

Sloop 

Schooner.. 
Steamer. . . 

British sch. 
Mexican sol 



Steamer — 
Schooner... 

Steamer.... 

Sloop , 

Schooner... 

Sloop 

Sloop 

Steamer.... 
British ech.. 

British st'r, 



Richard Vans. 
Eebekah 



Relempago 

Revenge 

Renshaw 

Richard 

Robert Knowles 
R. E. Lee, for- 
merly Girali'c. 

Ring Dove 

Raton del Kilo. 



Old iron, &c. 



Assorted.,, 
Sugar, &c. 



Cotton 

Munitions of w'r 



Salt, &c 

Cotfee, sugar, &c 



Rosita. . . . 
Roebuck. 



Ranger. 



Racer 

Rebel 

Rosina 

Resolute 

Rose 

R. S. Hood. 



None...., 
Assorted . 



Rouen. 



Sloop. . 
Sloop . 



Steamer... 
Schooner.. 

Iron-clad, 

rebel. 
Iron-clad, 

rebel. 
Brig 



Schooner.. 
Schooner. 

Bark 

Schooner. 

Bark 

Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 

Bark 

Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 

Steamer.. 
Schooner.. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 



Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Steamer. . 
Schooner. . 
Schooner. . 

Schooner. . 
Schooner.. 
Schooner. . 



Ruby.... 
Rob Roy 



Assorted.. 
Lead, &c. 



!,. H. Vcrmilyea 



Coffee, shoes, &c 



SoIedadCos 

Sarah and Mary 

Star 

Savannah 

Sallie Magee.... 
"y Mears... . 
I Houston... 

Shark 

Solferino 

Sarah Starr 

Susan Jane 

San Juan 



Coffee 

Coal 

Tobacco . . . 

None 

Coffee, &c. 



In ballast.. 
Assorted. . . 



Turpentine.... 

Assorted 

Salt, sugar, &c. 
Rice 



June 18 
July 14 
July 21 
July - 
' r. 31 
Sept. 15 
Nov. 9 

Dec. 17 
Dec. 3 

1864. 
Jan. 28 
Jan. 7 

Jan. 11 

Jan. 31 
Feb. 29 
April 13 
May 12 
June 2 
June 9 

July 2 

Aug. 2 
Nov. 9 

1865. 
Feb. 27 
Mar. 2 

April — 

April — 



1861. 
Sept. 11 
May 1 
May 17 
June 3 
June 26 
July 1 
July 7 
July 4 
June 26 
Aug. 3 
Sept. 10 
Sept. 28 
Oct. 12 



Potomac river 

Lat. 27° N., long. 83' 



Lat. 25° N., long. 82' 
"W 

Calcasieu 



.N". C. 
Charlotte harbor. . 



J. S. Chambers 
Jasmine 
Owasco 
Louisiana 
Gem of the Sea 
Cceur de Leon 
James Adger 



Oil' Wilmington. 

Off Indian river, Fla Roebuck 
East of Padre island, ^New London 
Texas. 



Gulf 

Lat. 26° 23' N.; long. 

83° 59' W. 
Near Lockwood's 

Folly inlet. 
Off Cape Canaveral. 

Indian river 

San Luis Pass 

Cape Canaveral .... 
Off Georgetown .... 
Lat. 28° •2' N. ; long. 

77° W. 
Lat. 32° 50' N.; long. 

7.5° 40' W. 

Off Bull's Bay 

Mobjackbay, Va... 



At sea 

Steinhutchie river, 

Fla. 
Richmond, Va 



Lat. 27° N., long. 96° 
W. 



Galveston 

Hampton roads. 



South Carolina 

Cumberland 

Minnesota 

Charleston Perry 

Hampton roads iQuaker City 

Minnesota 
Galveston South Carolina 



Western Metropolis 
San Jacinto 

Minnesota and oth- 
ers 
Beauregard 
Roebuck 
Virginia 
Beauregard 
Wamsutta 
Proteus 

Keystone state 

Hope 

Stepping 



Proteus 
Fox 



Quaker City 



Rattlesnake she 
Wilmington... 
Hatteras inlet. 



! Keystone State 



S. T. Garrison.. 
Sarah & Carol'e 



Stephen Hart. . 



Turpentine. 
Ai-rns, &c... 



Star 

Sea Bird 

Spitfire 

Sarah A. Fal- 
coner. 

Sarah Ann 

Sidney C. Jones 
Sea Foam 



Corn 

None..... 
Assorted. 



Deo. 11 

1862. 
Jan. 29 

Jan. 10 

Feb. 8 

Feb. — 

Mar. — 

Mar. 14 

April 



Vandalia, &c. 

Wabash 

Pawnee 

Susquehanna 
Lat. 3i°N.,long.80°|Dale 
W. 

Tortugas !1 

Maryland [Resolute 

[Louisiana 

St. John's river |Bienville 

Lat. 24° N., long. 82° Supply 
W. I 

Cedar keys iHatteras 

Bayou Lafourche. • . De Soto 

Roanoke island Rowan's expedition 

West coast of Fla. . . Ethan Allen 
Newbern Rowan's expedition 

Potomac river Potomac flotilla 



FOR VIOLATION OF THE BLOCKADE. 



597 



Cargo. 



Cap- Where captured, 
tured. 



By wliat vessel. 



Sloop 

Steamer.. 
Steamer.. 
Schooner. 
Steamer.. 
Steamer.. 
Steamer. . 

Steamer.. 
Steamer.. 
Steamer.. 
Steamer.. 
Steamer.. 

Sloop 

Steamer.. 

Bark 

Sloop 

Steamer. . 



Steamer.. 

Steamer.. 
Schooner.. 
Bark , 

Schooner. 



Scotia 

Sophia 

S. W. Green . . , 
Southern Mer- 
chant. 

St. Charles 



Schooner. .. 
Schooner.. . 

Steamer.... 
Schooner... 
Schooner. . . 
Schooner.. . 
Schooner... 

Schooner... 

Sloop 

Steamer.... 

Steamer 

Schooner.... 
Schooner.... 

Schooner 

Schooner.... 

Sloop 

Schooner.... 
Schooner.... 

Steamer 

Steamer.... 
Steamer. . . . 

Steamer 

British bark 
British sch.. 



Sallie 
Silas Henry 
Stonewall... 
Springbok. . 



Sue . . . 
Surpris 



British sch. 
En?, scli'nei 
Schooner..., 
Steamer.... 
Steamer.... 
Schooner... 
Steamer.... 



Southern Inde- 
pendence. 

Sarah 

Stettin 



Swan. 



Cotton, &c 

Saltpetre, drugs, 

&c. 
Cotton & rosin. 

Cotton 



1862. I 
April 10 Off Mobile. 



May 1, Bull's bay.. 
May 24, Charleston. 



Sarah , 

Sarah 

Susan Ann How- 
ard. 
Scuppernong 

Sabine 

C. Jones... 
Southerner... 
Sunbeam .... 



Cotton 

Sugar, &c . 



Salt, &c. 
Cotton... 



John's 

St. George 

Samuel First. . . 
Sarah Lavinia, 
Bird 



Sea Lion. 



Cotton, &c. . 



Scotland 

Star of the West 

Star {None 

Sea Drift Drugs, dec. . 

Statesman 

Sarah. I 

Southern Star . . | Turpentine . 
Southern Eights Assorted. . . . 

Shot !.... „ 

Sir "William Peel , Cotton 

St. Mary's 

Spaulding Assorted... . 



Scottish Chief...' 

Saxon ' 

Sallie I Salt 

Science ; Assorted . 



Silvanus , 

m Salt , 

Swift Salt fish , 

St. Mary's Cotton 

Spunky ' 

Stingray Cotton , 

Scotia 1 180 bales cotton 



Lat. 23° N., long. 82° 

15' Coast of Cuba 

SIMempbis 

C.... „ 

14' Shallow inlet, N. C. 
20 Charleston 

3 Berwick bay 

14 Newborn 



May 
June 
June 
June 
June 
June 
Mar. 

June 

April 

Aug. 

Sept. 

Sept. 

Feb. 

Oct. 

Nov. 

Nov. 

Dec. 



18G3. 
Jan. 19 New Orleans, La. . . 



9 Indian Town, N. C 

19 

11 

22! Cone river 

28} New inlet, N.C... 

— Coast of Texas 

24[Buirsbay 

4|Masonborough inJet 
16 



Jan. 8 

Feb. 20 Point Rosa, Florida, 
Feb. 3 Lat. 25° N., long. 73' 
W. 

Mar. 30 Little Biver inlet. . . 
Mar. 13 Lat. 26° N., long. 83" 

W. 
April 18 Cape Eomnin inlet.. 
April 22!Fort Fisher, N. C. . 

May 6 Potomac river 

May 8 Curritoman river. . . 
May 13 Lat. 29° N., long. 87 



May 9 1 Mobile 

May 15 Charleston . 
May 24! 



May 30 Brazos Santiago. . . 
June 22 Matagorda island. 

Tampa, Florida.. 

Great Wicomico.. 

St. Martin's reef. . 

Gilbert's bar 



June 6 
May 28 
Aug, 
Aug, 



Aug. — 



Oct. 8 

Oct. 16 

Oct 30 

Deo. 20 

Nov. 5 

1864. 

Jan. 2 

Jan. 11 

Feb. 9 



Olf Rio Grande 

Yazoo City 

Lat. 31° N., long. 
80° W. 

Tampa bay 

Coast of Africa 

Off Wilmington 

Off Bio Grande 



Schooner... Sophia. 

37 



Doboy sound, Ga. . . 

Off Jupiter inlet 

Wassaw sound 

St. John's river 

Fort Caswell, N.C. 
Feb. 29' Off Velasco. Texas . . 
Mar. i:Lat. 32° 34' W., long. 
I I 77° 18' W. 

Assorted |Mar. SiAltamaha sound, Ga. 



Onward 
Bienville 

Bainbridgo, &c. 

Sea Foam 
Western flotilla 

Penobscot 

Keystone State, &c. 

Ilatteras 

Vessels in sounds ot 

N. Carolina 
General Putnam 



Wyandatik 

State of Georgia, &c 

Arthur 

Restless 

Daylight, &c. 

T. A. Ward 

Diana 



Tahoma 
Julia, &c. 
Sonoma 



Stettin 

Mount Vernon, &c. 

Dragon 

Primrose 

De Soto 

Aroostook, &c. 
Canandaigua 
Yazoo Pass exped'n 

Brooklyn 

Itasca. 

Tahoma 

Satellite 

Fort Henry 

Sagamore 

Seminole 

MiKsissippi squadr'n 
Union 

Tahoma and Adela 
Vanderbilt 
Connecticut 
Owasco & Virginia 

Huron 

Roebuck 

Fatapsco 

Norwich and others 

Penobscot 
Connecticut 

Dan Smith & others 



598 



VESSELS CAPTURED AND DESTROYED 



Cargo. 



When 
cap- 
tured. 



Where captured. 



By what vessel. 



Schooner... Sylphide , 
Sloop Swallow., 

Spunky... 

Siren...., 



Steamer 
Sloop.... 



Schooner... 

Steamer 

Schooner... 

Steamer.... 
Steamer... . 
Schooner.. . 
Schooner. . . 

Brig 

Rebel stm'r 
Rebel stm'r 

Schooner.... 
Schooner.... 
Schooner — 
Schooner. . . 
Schooner... 
Schooner... 

Sloop 

Ship 

Sloop 

Span. bark.. 
Schooner.... 
Steamer. . . . 

Schooner.... 

Tug 

Schooner 

Sloop 

Schooner.. . . 
Schooner.... 

Schooner... 



Schooner.. 
Schooner.. 



Schooner. . . 
Schooner. . . 



Steamer.... 
Steamer^ . . . 
Span. bark.. 

Britishsloop 
Schooner... 
Steamer.-.. 

Steamer..-.. 

Eng. sch'ner 

Rebel ram« 



Stag 

Syren 

Salvador. 

Sort 

Sar. M. Newhall 

Shrapnell 

Spray 



Theresa C 

Tropic Wind.... 

Tros Freres 

Torn Hicks 

T. J. Chambers. 

Teaser 

T. J. Evans 

Thomas Watson 
T. W. EUey.... 



Teresita 

Theo. Stoney... 
Tubal Cain 



Cotton, &c.. 

Cotton 

Liquors, &c.< 



Sarah Mary. 
Selma 



Sybil 

Susanna. 
Sorts 



Coffee, &c. 
Cotton 



Arms, shoes, &c, 
Assorted 



1864. 
Mar. 9 
Mar. 20 
April 7 
June 5 

June 26 
Aug. 5 

Dec. 31 

Nov. 21 

Nov. 27 

Dec. 10 

1865. 

Jan. 19 

Feb. 18 

Feb. 25 



April — 



Oif Coast of Texas. Virginia 

Off Elbow Light iTioga 

Off Cape Canaveral. I Beauregard 
South of Cape Look- 'Keystone State 

out. 

Mosquito inlet iNorfolk packet 

Mobile bay i W. Gulf blockading 

I squadron 
Lat. 27° N., long. 93°;Metacomet 

W. 



Off Campeachy 
Anclote keys 

Cape Fear river.. 
Charleston, S. C 

At sea 

Cedar keys, Fla. . . 
S. A. squadron... 
Richmond, Va..., 



'ks Metacomet 
...0. H.Lee 



Iron 

Lumber. 



1861. 
May 4 
May 20 
June 23 
July 9 



Hampton roads. 



Mississippi sound. 
Galveston 



Pistols, 

Salt.... 



July 5 
Sept. 1 
Oct. 15 
Nov. 6 

1862. 
Jan. 30 
Feb. 14 
July 24 



Telegraph 

Teaser 

Troy 

Thomas Reilly. 

Two Sisters 

Theresa 



Potomac river 

Chesapeake bay 

Charleston 

Rappahannock river 



Yucatan bank 

Bull's bay 

Lat. 31° N., long. 78' 
NV. 



Gunny bags, &:c. 
Salt, &c 



Trier 

Tobacco, 4 boxes 



July 4 
Aug. 13 
Oct. — 
Sept. 21 
Sept. 4 

Oct. 28 



James river Maratanza 

Sabine Pass Kensington 

Quantico Creek Freeborn 

Rio Grande (Albatross 

Lat. 28° N., long. 93° W. G. Anderson 



Malvern & others 
Gladiolus & others 
Marigold 
Honeysuckle 



Cumberland 
Minnesota 
MasBachusetts 
South Carolina 

Dana 

Roanoke, &c. 
Cambridge 

Kingfisher 

Restless 

Octorara 



Time.... 

Theresa. 



Tampico 

Three Brothers. 
Turpentme, 11 
barrels. 

Tom Sugcr 

Three Brothers. 
Teresita 

Two Brother:^. . . 
Three Brothers. 
Tristr'm Shandy 

Thistle 

Terrapin 

Tennessee 



Cotton, 
None... 



Cotton... 
Salt, &c.. 



Cotton and tur- 
pentine. 



1863. 
Jan. 19 



Mar. 3 

Aug. 17 

July 24 

July — 

Oct. 21 

Nov. - 

1864. 

Feb. 25 

AprO 11 

May 15 

June 4 

July 10 

Aug. 5 



Mobjack bay 

New Orleans, La. 



New inlet 

Lat. 27° N., long. 



Sabine Pass 

Great "Wicomico. 
Cape Canaveral. 



nver 

Potomac river 

Near Rio Grande.. 



Off Indian river.... 
nasassa river.... 
Lat. 34° 6' N., long, 

77° 27' W. 
Lat. 32° 38' N., long. 

75° 55' W. 
Off Indian riv. inlet. 



Mobile bay. 



Schooner..... STriumph Assorted 



Sagamore 
Crusader 

Admiral Farragut's 

fleet 
Cambridge 
H. Hudson 

Cayuga, &c. 
Satellite 



Mississippi squadr'n 
Currituck & Fuchsia 

Granite City 

Roebuck 

Nita 



Fort Jackson 
Roebuck 



W. Gulf blockading 
squadron 



Wyalusing 



FOR VIOLATION OF THE BLOCKADE. 



;99 



Cargo. 



"Where captured. 



By what vessel 



Sloop 

Rebel ram 

Steamer. . . 

Schooner. 

Schooner. 
Steamer. . . 

Steamer... 



Schooner. . 
Schooner. . 
Schooner. . 

Schooner. . 

Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. . 
Schooner. 

Sloop 

Schooner. 

Steamer.. 
Schooner. 
Steamer.. 

Sloop 

Steamer.. 

Steamer.. 

Brig 

British sc. 

Steamer.. 



Rebel irc 
clad 

Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Bark 

Yacht.... 
Schooner. 

Schooner. 
Sloop 

Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner. 
Schooner, 
Steamer., 
Schooner. 

Sloop 

Sloop 

Steamer., 
Schooner. 



Telcmico. 
Texas 



Torpedo.., 
Transport . 



Mar. 
Mar. 



Uncle Mose. 
Union 



Provisions. 
Cotton 



Assorted. 



Venus. . . 
Velasco , 
Venus.., 



Victoria. 

Victoria. 
Venus... 
Volante. 
Victoria. 



Lumber .... 

Sugar 

Lead, Copper, &c 

Cotton 



18G1. 
June 5 

1862. 
July 7 

Aug. 2J 



May 19 

1861. 
July 4 
July 18 
Dec. 26 



Lat. 25° N.; long. 96' 

W. 
Richmond, Va 



Richmond, Va.. 
Charleston, S. C 



Coast of Yucatan... 
Lat. 23° N.; long. 85' 



Lat. S 
W. 



(°N.; long, 85' 



Galveston 

Coast of N. Carolina 
Lat. 28° N.; long. 93° 



Dec. 

1862. 
April 10 Mobil 



Salt, fish, &c. . 
Cotton 



May ISJLake Ponchartrain, 
July 2 "" ' " '" 

July 12 



Venture. 
Velocity. 

Virginia. 
Vesta. . . . 
Victoria. 
Victoria. 
Victory. . 

Venus... 



Flour, rice, &c. 
Rope, &e 



Assorted 

Sutler's stores. 



June 19 
Sept. 30 

1863. 
Jan. 18 



Assorted. . . . 
Cotton, &c.. 



May 28 
May 30 
June 21 



Lead, bacon, 

coft'ee, &c 

Assorted 

Salt, &c 



Virginia. 



1864. 
Jan. 1; 



1865. 
Mar. - 



■William & John 
William Henry. 

Winifi-ed 

Wanderer 

William H. Nor- 
throp. 



Wyfe or Nye 

William H. Mii 
dleton. 



Tobacco. 
Coffee... 



Coft'ee, drugs, &c 



Wandoo 

William Mallory 

Wave 

W. C.Bee.... 
Winter Shrub. 
Whlteman.... 
Will o' the Wisp 
Water Witch 

Wave 

Wilson 

William 



Assorted. . 

Rice 

A.s6orted. 
Cotton ... 



Salt, herrings, «&c 



Powder,caps,&c. 
Salt, &c .'.!.*!".'.'. 
Cotton 



May 
May 
Dec. 

186; 
Jan. 



Feb. 
Feb. 
May 
April 
April 
May 
May 
June 
May 
June 
July 
July 



Georgetown, S. C 
Lat. 26° N. ; long. 76° 



Mugue's island 

Piney Point 

Havana 

Point Isabel 

Lat. 25° N.; long. 75' 

W. 
New inlet, N. C 



Off Rio Grande 

Olf Cape Canaveral. 

Between Tubb's riv- 
er and Little inlet, 
N. Carolina. 

Lat. 32° N.; long. 78° 
W. 



Quaker City 



Part of N. A. B. 
squadron 



Tahoma 

J. S. Chambers 



South Carolina 
Albatross 
Rhode Island 

Santiago de Cuba 

Kanawha 

Calhoun 

Gem of the Sea, &c. 

Mercedita 

Morning Light 
Crocker's espediti n 

Wachusett 
Wyandank 
Juniata 
Brooklyn 

Santiago de Cuba 

Nansemond 

Owasco & Virginia 
Beauregard 



Richmond, Va 



186 
May 15 Hampton road.- 



25 Cape Henry. 
ll^Key West... 
25, Cape Fear... 



10 Cedar keys. 



llBoca Chico 

14 Bull's bay 

5 St. Andrew's bay... 

19 1 Georgetown 

23 

2l!Keel's creek, N.C .. 

6 Lake Pontchartrain. 

3iRio Grande 

5 

27 1 Mississippi sound... 

9|namilton, N. C 

1] Sabine lalic, La 



Quaker City 

Crusader 

Femandina 



Portsmouth 
Restless 
Water Witch 
O. W. Blunt 
Santiago de Cuba 
Hunchback, &c. 
Calhoun. 
Montgomery 
Currituck, ko 
Bohio. 

Com'dore Perry, & 
Dc Soto 



600 



VESSELS CAPTUEED AND DESTEOYED 



Cargo. 



"Where captiired. 



By 



18G2. 



Schooner. . . 
Schooner. . . 
Schooner. . . 
Schooner. . . 
Sloop 



Schooner.., 
Steamer — 

Steamer.... 
Schooner.., 
Schooner..., 

Schooner. . , 
Steamer..., 
Schooner.., 

British sch, 
Steamer. . . . 



British scl 

Schooner. 
Steamer . . 
Schooner. , 
Schooner. . 
Steamer.. 

Schooner. , 



"West Florida. . . 
Water "Witch... 

Wave 

"Water Witch. . . 
"Wm. E. Chester 

Wm. n . H.arrison 
"Wm. A. Knapp. 
White Cloud... 
"Wave Queen. . . . 

Wanderer 

"W.Y. Leitch... 



Wonder 

"Wm. Bagley. 
"Wave 



Assorted. . . . 
Cotton, &c. 
Salt, &c.... 
Cotton 



Sept. 27 
Nov. 4 
Aug. 24 
Nov. 20 

1863. 
Jan. 21 



Corpus Chiisti. 
Arizona Pass.. 



Assorted , 

Salt and fish.... 
Salt 



"William. 
"Warrior. 



"William. 



Cofl'ee, cigars, & 
di-y goods. 



Salt, &c. 



"Wm. A. Kain. . 
Wild. Dayi-ell . . 
"Wm. Douglass. 
"Wild Pigeon... 
"Wando 



"Watchful 



Cotton & tobacco 
Assorted 



Cotton 

Lumber, oil, &c. 



Tug 

Eebel priv' 
schooner. 

British slo'p 
Steamer. . . 

Sloop 



Young America. 
York 



Young Eacer. . . 
Young Republic 



Yankee Doodle 



Cotton i 
Cotton. 



Schooner... 
Schooner... 
Schooner... 



Zeland . 
Zavala-. 
Zulima . 
Zouave. 



Feb. 25 
May 2 
April 20 

May 13 
July 18 
Aug. 22 

Oct. 28 
Aug. 16 

1864. 
Jan. 13 

Jan. 22 

Feb. ] 

Feb. 1-5 

Mar. 21 

Oct. 21 

Sept. 27 

1865. 
Feb. 9 
Jan. 21 

1861. 

April 24 
Aug. — 

18G4. 
Jan. 14 
May C 



1861. 
Nov. 21 
Oct. 1 



North Santec 

ii'aV. *26'° N.'; Yong." 76^ 

"W. 
PortEoyal, S. C... 



Bat. 26° N.; long. 86° 
W. 

Off Suwannee river . 

St. Andrew's bay. . . 
Stump inlet, N. C... 

San Buis Pass 

Florida coast 

Bat. 33° 5' N. ; long. 

76° 40' "W. 
Bat. 28° 40' N.; long. 

90° 53' "W. 

Off Galveston, Texas 
Mississippi Squadi-'a 

Hampton Eoads . . . . 
Cape Hatteras 



Near Jupiter's inlet. 
Bat. 32° 10' N.; long. 
78°49'"W. 

Entrance to Pearl 
river, Miss. 

Off Tampico bay 

"Vermillion bay 



Kensington, &c. 

Arthur 

E. B. Hale 

Corypheus 

Montgomery 



Conemaugb 
Sacramento 
Octorara 

Wabash, &c. 
De Soto, &c. 
Cayuga 

Mercedita 
Gertrude 



Two Sisters, tender 

to San Jacinto 
Restless 
Norwich, &c. 
Virginia 

Hendrick Hudson 
Fort Jackson 

Arkansas ♦ 



Roebuck 
Grand Gulf 



Connecticut 
Hunts vi lie 
New Bondon 
Mississippi squadi'n 



Sloop. 



Zion Nov. 2 



Adolph nugel 



FOR VIOLATION OF THE BLOCKADE. 



601, 



MISCELLANEOUS CAPTURES. 



Description. 


Cargo. 


When 
cap- 
tured. 


Where captured. 


By what vessel. 


Schooner .... -- 


18G1. 1 

Dec 11 Off Sf TnTin'p; rivr-r T'ln 


Bienville 


Schoonci' 




May 28 
Oct. 5 
Oct. 11 
Aug. 10 
Nov. 15 


Potomac river 


Resolute 


Schooner 


Chincoteague inlet 


Louisiana 










Schoonei' j 


St Lone bar 






Pass Cavallo 


Arthur 




Coffee, &c 

Cotton 


Dec. 15 

1802. 
Jan. 24 
Jan. 23 
Jan, 10 

Mar. 14 






Bark 








Mobile bar 




Sail-boat 




Ilatteras 

















" 








Naval expedition 


5 barrels of lard, &c. 










Feb. 10 
Jan. 22 
Peb. - 
Feb. 12 




Commodore Perry 














Rowan's expedition 






Edenton N C 














" 


" 


Schooner 




" 


Lieut.Jeffcr's espedition 


Schooner 
































Mar. 3 




" 






Sullivan's island 

Rappahannock river 


S. Atlantic Blockading 
Squadron 




Shad, &c 


April — 








" 


" 


" 




" 


" 


Ilatteras 






April 12 
April 26 
May 8 


Coast of South Carolina. 
Bull's bay 


ur 


Schooner 










Light-house inlet. ..'.'.'.'. '. 


Alabama 
Santiago do Cuba 
Tahoma 








Powder 


April 24 
June 6 

Mar! - 
June 17 
June — 

May - 
May 4 
July - 








Steamer 












" 








* " 








Near Sabine river 

Table land of Mariel.... 


Santiago Cuba 

Amanda 

Kanawha 

Corwin, &c. 


Bark 




Schooner, (supposed 
to be Monticello.) 






"West Point, Virginia.... 




Ai-my stores 






Rhode'lsland 

Naval expedition 


1,200 bars raih-oad 
iron. 




St. Simon's sound, Ga. . . 










Mar. 21 
Aug. 11 
Aug. 12 

July 10 
July 29 
Sept. 26 
Oct. 1 
Oct. 3-5 
Oct. 9 
Oct. 17 
Oct. 24i 








Salt, &c 






Schooner 






Sloop 








Sloop 


Cotton 


" 


Arthur 








Pittsburg 
State of Georgia 




Anns 
















T. A. Ward 


One seven-oared boat 






Metaliclife-boat.... 


Merchandise . . . 






Two canoes 


Potomac river 


Matthew Vag.sar 



602 



VESSELS CAPTURED ATfD DESTROYED 



Description. 


Cargo. 


When 
cap- 
tured. 


Where captured. 


By what vessel. 






1862. 
Nov. 1 
Nov. 16 
Nov. 17 

Nov. 19 
Nov. 4 
Oct. 21 
Nov. 25 

Nov. 23 

Nov. 3 
Nov. 30 
Nov. 26 
Dec. 5 
Dec. 19 

Dec. 20 

Dec. - 
Dec. 20 

1863. 
Jan. 8 

Jan. 18 
Jan. 19 










Mason'boruugh inlet 


T. A. Ward 






Cambridge 

Daylight 

Cbocura 


Brig 






Rosin, &c 


Shallow inlet. . . . 


Bark . . 


Masonborough inlet 








E. B. Hale 






















" 


" 






East rivor 


" 








" 






" 


" 








" 






" 












Flat-bottomed boat. 


Contraband 

Howitzer, &c. . . 


Floro ci'eek 


Dan Smith 




Bell river 


Calhoun 






Sagamore 
Mahaska, &c. 


Sloop 






Nine boats 












" 


" 






" 


" 


Sloop 




" 


" 


Eight boats 




" 


" 


Scow...., 




" 


" 


Lighter. . . . 


Sugar, &c 

Cotton . 


" 


Diana 


Uoat 


Indian river, Fla 

White House 


















Bark 




" 


" 


Bark 




" 


" 






• »» 


" 


Sloop 


Merchandise.... 


Newport News, Va 

Capture of New Orleans. 


Minnesota, &c. 
Admiral Farragut's fleet 


Rebel vessel, (bldg.) 
Eebel vessel, (bldg.) 
Rebel vessel, (bldg.) 
Rebel vessel, (bldg.) 
Rebel vessel, (bldg.) 






" 


" 





" 


" 




" 


" 


Assorted. 

Conti-aband 


Jan. 13 
Jan. 20 
Jan. 23 

Jan. 20 
Jan. 25 
Jan. 24- 

25. 
Jan. 21 
Feb. 12 

Jan. 20 


Dividing creek, Va 

Chuckatuok creek 




Sioop 

Four clinker-built 


Commodore Morris 


boats. 
Two small boats.. 










Assorted 














" 




George Mangham 

Daylight 
George Mangham 










Whiskey, coffee, 
&c. 

Assorted 

Merchandise ... 




Sloop 






Dan Smith 




Feb. 2, Topsail inlet 

Mar. 13 

Mar. 2 Mosquito inlet 

Mar 24 




Assox-ted 


Cceur de Leon 
Sagamore 
Boat expedition 








Schooner 


Salt." ' 


April 19 

April 10 
April 8 


Charleston 


Brig. 








Sloov............... 


" 




New London 

TTnrtfnrrI 


Wharf boat 




'VJo-nyCT.t^-r, 


Sloop 


Cotton 

Salt, &c 


April 24 Wassaw sound, Ga 

May 2 Rich inlet 

May 14 TTvin-na Vn 


Cimmaron 
Perry. 
Currituck, &c. 










May 20 
May 1-8 




Six vessels, &c 








Steamer "35th Par- 






Yazoo Pass expedition 

Conemaugh, &c. 
Yazoo Pass expedition 
Naval expedition 


allel- 
Schooner 




May 10 
May - 
May 20 


Morrell's inlet 








Monster ram 




Yazoo City 



FOE VIOLATION OF THE BLOCKADE. 



603 



Description. 



Cargo. 



When 
Cap- 
tured. 



Where captured. 



By what vessel. 



Horses and Wagons 

Fishing scow 

Schooner 

Flat-boat 

Sloop boat 

Scow boat 

Skiff and fiat 

Barge 

Flat 

Sloop boat 

Schooner 

Sloop 

Sloop 

Canoe 

Flat-boat 

Lot of Merchandise. 
Dry-goods and shoes 
Four canoes.... 



Sugar, &c 

Corn 

57 bales cotton. 

Com 

Cotton. 

Corn 



Whiskey, &c. 



4 schooners 

11 bbs. of turpentine 

Schooner 

Schooner 

Schooner 

Schooner and launch 

Row-boat 

3 roUs bagging. . 



May 

June 24 

June 

June 

June 10 

June 

May 14 

May 30 

July 

July 

July 

July 13 



July 17 
July 20. 

21. 
July 8-f 
July 24 
July ~ 
July 

June 22 
July 14 



squadron 



Withlacoochoe river, Fla 

Crystal river, Fla 

Wacassassa bay 



White House 

Cumberland 

Charlotte harbor, Fla 
llappahannock river. . . . 



Jrooklyn 



Tahoma 
Fort llcnry 



Shokokon 
Commodore Morria 



Charles county, Md. 
Dividing crock, Va.. 



Coast of Texas . 



Coast of Texas . 



Sloop., 

Schooner. 

Steamer.. 

Schooner. 

Schooner. 

Schooner. 



Steamer... 
Sloop boat. 



Schooner 

Twelve oyster boats. 

Boat 

Sloop. 

Skilf 

Schooner 

Schooner 

Schooner 

Two canoes 

Schooner 

Twenty -two boats.. 
Twenty-six small 



Turpentine. 



Large barge 

Seven boats (bldg.), 
Three boats 



Steamer 

Sail-boat 

Twenty-two boats. 
Nine boats 



Cotton and tur- 
pentine 



Merchandise . . . 



Turpentine . . . 

Sugar 

Railroad iron. 

Sugar 

Bacon 

Horses 

Wheat 

Tobacco 

Schooner 

Four scows... 
Rifles— 9 



25 barrels 

13 barrels 

5 barrels 

500 or 600 bars. 

2 baiTels 

1,000 pound.s... 



June 24 
July 19 
July 
Sept. 28 
June 30 
Oct. — 

Oct.' 

Dec. 
Dec. 14 

1861. 
Jan. 1 
Feb. 1 
Feb. 13 



Mar. 11 
Feb. 8 
Feb. 23 
Mar. 28 
April 18 
May IJ 



July 4 

Aug. 9 

Sept. 2 

Oct. 4 

Mar. 11 

Mar. 11 

Mar. 16 

Mar. 21 



Old Haven creek... 
Coast of Louisiana, 
(jlf Sabine Pass 



Matagorda bay... 
Indian river, Fla. 



Lat. 24° N. ; long. 83° W. 

Caney creek, Texas 

Running from Va. to Md. 

JStatagorda bay 

Up the Rappahannock... 
Turkey creek 



Lat. 27° 41' N. ; loug. 
54' W. 

Off Charleston 

Potomac river 



PLankatank river. . . , 
Up St. John's river.. 



Ccem- de Ldon 
Currituck 

Sciota 

DeSoto 

Sciota 



Boat expedition 
Annie 

Tahoma 
Fort Heroy 
Restless 
Currituck 



Cayuga 



Granite City, &c 
Roebuck 



Nipsic 
Morse 



Jacinto 
Queen 
Dragon 
Estrella 
Potomac flotilla 
Conmiodore Perry 



Magnolia 

Katskill 
Primrose 
Potomac flotilla 



launch 
Pawnee and othera 



60 bushels, 
boxes... 



April 18 



July 28 
June 30 
Aug. 5 
Aug. 24 



Up Rappahannock Potomac flotilla 



Gatesville, N. C. 

Mobile 

Mobile bay 

Masonboro' inlet. 



Whitehead 

Glasgow 

W. G-. B. squadron 

Niphon 



604 



VESSELS CAPTUEED AND DESTROYED 



Description. 


Cargo. 


When 
cap- 
tured. 


Where captured. 


By what vessel. 






1864. 
Nov. 21 
Oct. 24 

Nov. 5 

Nov. 29 
Dec. 3 
Dec. 27 

1865. 
Jan. 27 
Feb. 4 
Feb. 27 


Bruinsburg, Miss 


Avenger 




Assorted cargo. . 
Salt, shoesH&c. 
Cotton and tur- 
pentine. 




Oir Little Malco, Fla.... 
Otf Charleston, S. C 

Decross's Point, Texas.. 
Off Cape Fear river 


Rosalie 




Patapsco 


















Cotton & sugar. 






Steamer. 


Beach inlet, S. <J 

Wando river, S. C 




Cargo of sloop, name 

unknown. 
Rebel torpedo boat. 
3 rebel torpedo boats 














Charleston, S. C. 

















Wilmington, N. C 

Windmill Point, Va .... 
Richmond, Va 




&c. 


Dry-goods 


April 6 
April - 


Mercury 

N. A. B. squadron 


Machinery, &c 



The number of the prizes adjudicated to thi.s date (Jan. 27, 1867), is 
hundred and thirty. The total ariiount of money involved — including 
that for distribution to the captors, and tliat which is passed to the credit of 
the United States— is about $25,000,000. 

Payment has already been made to nearly ten thousand different claim- 
ants, in sums varying from twenty-five cents to thirty-eight thousand dollars. 
There still remain to be adjudicated about six hundred prizes, the most of 
which will probably be condemned and the proceeds paid to the captors. 



PAY TABLE OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY. 



Grades. Pay per 

annum. 

VICE-ADMIRAL. 

When at sea $7,000 

When on shore duty 6,000 

On leave or waiting orders 5,000 

REAR-ADMIRALS, (Activk List.) 

When at sea 5,000 

When on shore duty 4,000 

On leave or waiting orders 3,000 

On Retieed List 2,000 

COMMODORES, (Active List.) 

When at sea 4,000 

When on shore duty 3,200 

On leave or waiting orders 2,400 

On Retired List 1,800 

CAPTAINS, (Active List.) 

When at sea 3,500 

When on shore duty 2,800 

On leave or waiting orders 2,100 

On Retired List 1,600 

COMMANDERS, (Active List.) 

When at sea 2,800 

When on shore duty 2,240 

On leave or waiting orders 1,680 

On Retired List 1,400 

LIEUTENANT COMMANDERS, (Active List.) 

When at sea 2,343 

When on shore duty 1,875 

On leave or waiting orders 1,500 

On Retired List 1,300 

LIEUTENANTS, (Active List.) 

When at sea 1,875 

When on shore duty 1,500 

On leave or waiting orders 1,200 

On Retired List 1,000 

MASTERS, (Active List.) 

When at sea 1,500 

When on shore duty 1,200 

On leave or waiting orders 900 

On Retired List 800 

ENSIGNS, (Active List.) 

When at sea 1,200 

When on shore duty 960 

On leave or waiting orders 768 

On Retired List 500 

MIDSHIPMEN 500 

FLEET SURGEONS 3,300 



606 



PAY TABLE OF THE UKITED STATES NAVY. 



Pay per 
Grades. annuta. 

SDKGEONS— 

On duty at sea— 

For Mrst five years after date of commission as surgeon $2,200 

For second five years after date of commission as surgeon 2,400 

For third five years after date of commission as surgeon 2,600 

For fourth five years after date of commission as surgeon 2,800 

For twenty years and upwards after date of commission 3,000 

On other duty — 

For first five years after date of commission as surgeon 2,000 

For second five years after date of commission as surgeon 2,200 

For third five years after date of commission as surgeon 2,400 

For fourth five years after date of commission as surgeon 2,600 

For twenty years and upwards after date of commission 2,800 

On leave or waiting orders — 

For first five years after date of commission as surgeon 1,600 

For second five years after date of commission as surgeon 1,800 

For third five years after date of commission as surgeon 1,900 

For fourth five years after date of commission as surgeon 2,100 

For twenty years and upwards after date of commission 2,300 

RETIRED SURGEONS— 

Surgeons ranking with captains 1,300 

Surgeons ranking with commanders 1,100 

Surgeons ranking with lieutenants 1,000 

RETIRED PASSED AND ASSISTANT SURGEONS— 

Passed 850 

Assistant 650 

PASSED ASSISTANT SURGEONS— 

Ou duty at sea 1,500 

On other duty 1,400 

On leave or waiting orders 1,100 

ASSISTANT SURGEONS— 

On duty at sea 1,250 

On otlier duty 1,050 

On leave or waiting orders 800 

FLEET PAYMASTERS 3,300 

PAYMASTERS— 
On duty at sea — 

For first five years after date of commission 2,000 

For second five years after date of commission 2,400 

For third five years after date of commission 2,600 

For fourth five years after date of commission 2,900 

For twenty years and upwards after date of commission 3,100 

Ou other duty — 

For first five years after date of commission 1,800 

For second five years after date of commission 2,100 

For third five years after date of commission 2,400 

For fourth five years after date of commission 2,600 

For twenty years and upwards after date of commission 2,800 

Ou leave or waiting orders — 

For first five years after date of commission „ . , l,400 

For second five years after date of commission 1,600 

For third five years after date of commission 1,800 

For fourth five years after date of commission 2,000 

For twenty years and upwards after date of commission 2,250 

PAYMASTERS RETIRED— [Under acts of Aug. 3 and Dec. 21, 1861.] 

Paymasters ranking with captains 1,300 

Hanking with commanders 1,100 

Ranking with lieutenants I'oOO 

ASSISTANT PAYMASTERS— ' ' ' 
Ou duty at sea — 

First five years after date of commission 1,300 

After five years from date of commission 1,500 

On other duty — 

First five j'ears after date of commission 1,000 

After five years from date of commission 1,200 



PAT TABLE OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY. GOT 

ray per 
Grades. annum 

ASSISTANT PAYMASTERS— Continued. 
On leave or waiting orders — 

First five years after date of commission $800 

After five vears from date of commission 1,000 

CHAPLAINS— To be paid as lieutenants. 
PROFESSORS OF MATHEMATICS— 

On duty 1,800 

On leave or waiting orders 960 

BOATSWAINS, GUNNERS, CARPENTERS, AND SAILMAKERS— 
On duty at sea — 

For first three years' sea-service from date of appointment 1,000 

For second three years' sea-service from date of appointment 1,150 

For third three years' sea-service from date of appomtmeut 1,250 

For fourth three years' sea-service from date of appointment 1,350 

For twelve years'" sea-service and upwards 1,450 

On other duty— 

For first three year's sea-service after date of appointment 800 

For second three years' sea-service after date of appointment 900 

For third three years' sea-service after date of appointment 1,000 

For fourth three vears' sea-service after date of appointment 1,100 

For twelve years sea-service and upwards 1,200 

On leave or waiting orders — 

For first three years' sea-service after date of appointment 600 

For second three years' sea-service after date of appointment 700 

For third three years' sea-service after date of appointment 800 

For fourth three vears' sea-service after date of appointment 900 

For twelve years' sea-service and upwards 1,000 

FLEET ENGINEERS 3,300 

ENGINEERS- 
CHIEF Engineers, (on duty) — 

For first five years after date of commission 2,200 

For second five years after date of commission 2,500 

For third five years after date of commission 2,800 

After fifteen years from date of commission 3,000 

On leave or waiting orders — 

For first five years after date of commission 1,500 

For second five years after date of commission 1,600 

For third five years after date of commission 1,700 

After fifteen years from date of commission 1,800 

First Assistant Engineers — 

On duty 1,500 

On leave or waiting orders 1,100 

Second Assistant Engineers— 

On duty , 1,200 

On leave or waiting orders 900 

Third Assistant Engineers— 

On duty 1,000 

On leave or waiting orders 800 

NAVY AGENTS, commissions not to exceed 3,000 

NAVY AGENT at San Francisco 4,000 

TEMPORARY NAVY AGENTS 

NAVAL STOREKEEPERS 

Officers of the navy on foreign stations 1,500 

NAVAL CONSTRUCTORS 2,600 

NAVAL CONSTRUCTORS, when not on duty 1,800 

SECRB^TARIES to commanders of squadrons 1,500 

CLERKS to commanders of squadrons and commsinders of vessels 500 

CLERKS TO COMMANDANTS AT NAVY-YARDS— 

First clerk, Portsmouth, N. H 1,200 

Clerk of yard 900 

First clerk, Boston 1,200 

Second clerk, Boston 960 

Clerk of yard 1,200 

First clerk, New York 1,200 

Second clerk, New York 960 



608 



PAY TABLE OF THE UNITED STATES NAYY. 



Pay per 
Grades. aunum. 

CLERKS TO COMMANDANTS AT NAVY-YARDS— Continued. 

Clerk of yard $1,200 

Clerk, Philadelphia 1,200 

Clerk of yard 1,200 

First clerk, Washington 1,200 

Second clerk, Washington 960 

Clerk of yard 1,200 

Clerk, Norfolk 1,200 

Clerk of vard 1,200 

First clerk, Pensacola 1,200 

Clerk of yard 1,200 

Clerk, Mare Island 1,500 

Clerk of navy-yard 1,500 

CLERKS— 

To paymasters at Boston, New York, Washington, and Philadelphia sta- 
tions 1,200 

At other stations __ 1,000 

To inspectors in charge of provisions and clothing at Boston, New York, 

and Philadelphia 1,200 

At other inspections 1,000 

To receiving ships at Boston and New York .^ 1,200 

In other receiving ships, and in vessels of the first rate, and at the Naval 

Academy 1,000 

To fleet paymasters and to paymasters of vessels of the second rate 800 

To paymasters of vessels of the third rate, when allowed 700 



PAY TABLE, COMMENCINNG JULY 1, 1864. 



Chief Boatswain's Mates 

Boatswain's Mates in Charge 

Boatswain's Mates 

Chief Gunner's Mates 

Gunner's Mates in Charge 

Gunner's Mates 

Chief Quartermasters 

Quartermasters 

Coxswains to Commanders-in-Chief. 

Coxswains 

Captains of Forecastle 

Captains of Tops 

Quarter Gunners 

Carpenter's Mates 

Carpenters, including Caulkers 

Sailmaker's Mates 

Painters, 1st Class 

Painters, 2d Class 

Coopers 

Armorers 

Armorer's Mates 

Captains of Hold 

Captains of Afterguard 

Ship's Cooks 

Bakers 

Yeomen 

Master- at- Arms 

Surgeon's Stewards, iu charge 



I 


»AT PEE 


MONTH. 




Ist 


2d 


3d 


4th 


rate. 


rate. 


rate. 


rate. 


$80 


$30 






30 


SO 


$.30 


$30 


27 


27 


27 


27 


30 


30 






30 


30 


SO 


30 


27 


27 


27 


27 


SO 


30 


23 


28 


25 


25 


25 


25 


SO 


30 


30 


80 


25 


25 


25 


25 


25 


25 


25 


25 


25 


25 


25 


25 


25 


25 


25 


25 


30 


30 


30 


30 


20 


20 


20 


20 


25 


25 


25 


25 


25 


25 






22 


22 


22 


22 


22 


22 


22 


22 


35 


SO 






22 


22 


22 


22 


25 


25 


25 


25 


25 


25 


25 


25 


30 


80 


26 


26 


25 


25 




22 


45 


40 


35 


30 


40 


35 


30 


25 


40 


40 


40 


40 



PAY TABLE OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY. G09 

PAY TABLE, COMMENCING JULY 1, 1864— Continued. 



Surgeon's Stewards , 

Paymaster's Stewards 

School Masters , 

Ship's Writers 

Ship's Corporals 

Masters of the Bands 

Musicians, 1st Class 

Musicians, 2d Class 

Stewards to Commanders in Chief, 
Cooks to Commanders-in-Chief. . . . 

Cabin Stewards 

Cabin Cooks 

Wardroom Stewards 

Wardroom Cooks 

Steerage Stewards 

Steerage Cooks 

Warrant Officers' Stewards 

Warrant Officers' Cook 

Seamen 

Ordinary Seamen 

Landsmen 

Nurses 

Boys, 1st Class 

Boys, 2d Class 

Boys, 3d Class 

Firemen, 1st Class 

Firemen, 2d Class 

Coal-Heavers 





PAT PEE 


MONTH. 




let 


2d 


3d 


4th 


rate. 


rate. 


rate. 


rate. 


$40 


$33 


$25 


$25 


33 


33 


33 


33 


35 


30 


25 


20 


30 


25 


20 


13 


22 


22 


22 


22 


35 


30 






20 


20 






16 


16 






40 


40 


40 


40 


35 


35 


35 


35 


85 


35 


35 


35 


SO 


30 


30 


30 


SO 


80 


30 


30 


25 


25 


25 


25 


20 


20 


20 


20 


IS 


13 


IS 


18 


IS 


18 


18 


18 


14 


14 


14 


14 


20 


20 


20 


20 


16 


16 


16 


16 


14 


14 


14 


14 


14 


14 


14 


14 


10 


10 


10 


10 


9 


9 


9 


9 


8 


8 


8 


8 


30 


30 


30 


30 


25 


25 


25 


25 


20 


20 


20 


20 



Notes. — All officers, while at sea or attached to a sea-going vessel, shall be allowed 
one ration. 

No rations shall be allowed to any officers of the navy on the retired list. 

The pay of all naval officers appointed by virtue of an act entitled " An act to pro- 
vide for the temporary increase of the navy," approved July 24, 1861, shall be the same 
as that of officers of a like grade in the regular navy. — (See act July 16, 1862 ) 



^t mil Mtml mxa $\\t\GX\}t'^ ^mWimx fiston at i\t Mm. 

By E: a. pollard. 



THE LOST CAUSE, 

BY 

EDWARD A. POLLARD, 

OF VIRGINIA, 

EDITOR OF THE '^ RICHMOND EXA3IINER,'' DURING THE WAR. 



Comprising a full and autlientic account of the rise and progress of tlie 

late Soutlicrn Confederacy--T!io Campaigns, ISattle.c!, Incidents 

and Adventures of the luost gigantic struggle 

of tlie world's Iiistory. 

COMPLETE m ONE LAEGE EOYAL OCTAVO VOLUME OP NEAELT 800 PAGES. 

WITH 

TWH«TV-?OUR mznmt STEEI POBTRAtT0t 

OF 

DISTIlSraUISHED CONFEDERATE LEADERS, 

AS FOLLOWS : 

Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Jo. E. Johnston, 

A. H. Stephens, "Stonewall" Jackson, Braxton Bragg, 

J. P. Benjamin, P. Gr. T. Beauregard, Kirby Smith, 

Henry A. Wise, R. S. Ewell, N. B. Forrest, 

J. C. Breckenridge, A. P. Hill, Leonidas Polk, 

Wm. L. Yancey, J. Longstreet, J. B. Hood, 

J. M. Mason, A. S. Johnston, W. J. Hardee, 

John Slidell, J. E. B. Stuart, John Morgan. 

The Publisliers take pleasure in announcinsr that they have secured the talents of this distinguished Author 
and Historian, in preparing a work worthy of the theme and the occasion. 

The history of the vanquished has too often fallen to the pen of the victor, and to insure justice to the 
Southern cause, the pen must be taken by some Southern man who is willing to devote his time and" talents to the 
vindication of his countrymen, in a history which shall challenge the criticism of the intelligent, and invite the 
attention of all honest inquirers. 

Such a work will be of peculiar interest to the candid and intelligent public of the North, and is of the utmost 
importance to the People of the Southern States. 

Mr. Pollard, of all writers in the South, is doubtless the best qualified to prepare a complete and Standard 
History of the War, and to commit to the present and future generations a faithful and worthy record of their 
great struggle, and of a cause lost, s.ave in honor— having been employed during the entire period of the war as 
editor of a Richmond newspaper, and thus trained to the best sources of information, anil by especial research 
has collected a quantity of historical material pertaining to the secret history of the war whicli no one else in the 
country has or can now obtain. 

He comes to the work with the encouragement and authority of Generals R. E. Lee, J. E. JonNSTosr, 
Bbauregard, "Dick " Taylob, Fitziujoii Lee, Ex-Gov. \Visk, and other distinguished Confederate Leaders. 

This Work Is sold onl>j l»j sriliscription, and cannot he obtained excciH through our 
authorized Trawling Agents. 

In every Township and County in the United States and Canada to introduce this 

GREAT AND IMPORTANT WORK. 
To Energetic Men and Women a Rare Ciiance is offered to make Money. 
Address, E. B. TREAT & CO., Publisliers, 

654 BKOADWAY, New York, 

o-r ZBi-c-^iaclo. Orflces- 



GET THE BEST -FROM OFFICIllL SOURCES , NOW READY, 
GRANT & SHERMAN, 

THEIR 

CAMPAIGNS AND GENERALS. 



BY HOIV. jr. T, 

a-tfTHOR OF " WASHINGTON AND HIS GENERALS," " NAPOLEON AND 
HIS MARSHALS," "SACRED MOUNTAINS," &c., &c. 



IN ONE LARGE VOLUHIIE -WITH 30 STEEL PORTRAITS, BATTLE SCENES & MAPS. 

Comprising the Life, Public Services, and Military Career of 



General U. §. GRANT, 

The gi-eatest General of modem times. 

Major-Gen. P. H. SIIEKIDAIV, 

The Ilero of Winchester and Five Forks. 

" G. II. THOMAS, 

The Hero of Nashville and Chickamauga. 
" J. E. IIOOK.ER, 

The Hero of Look-out Mountain. 
« G. G. MEAD, 

The Hero of Gettysburg. 

« O. O. HOIVAKD 

The " Havelock " of the Union Army. 



Eieut.-Gen. W. T. SHERMAN, 

The Hero of Atlanta and the Carolinas. 

Major-Gen. A. E. BURNSIDE, 

The Hero of Roanoke and Kewburn. 

W.S.ROSECRANS, 
The Hero of Murfreesboro. 

" A. II. TERRY, 

The Hero of Fort Fisher. 

« J. B. McPfilERSON 

The lamented Com. of the Army of the Tena. 

" W. S. HANCOCK, 

Com. of the " Veteran Reserve Corps." 



AND MANY OTHER PROMINENT GENERAIiS of the Union Army; with 

tlirilling' accounts of Battles, Sieges, Adventiires, &c„ written in 

Mr. HKADIjEY'S errapMc and inimitable style. 



The four years of civil war through which the United States have passed, have created a history, the 
record of which is brilliant with the names of Heroes and Heroic Deeds ; and at this time there is a great 
Rnd increasing demand for a work which will give an authentic account of the daring deeds and g-allant 
achievements of the brave and faithful men who so nobly defended and preserved our country ._ And 
among the most glorious pages, are those which describe the stirring incidents of the famous Campaigns of 
our great Generals Grant and Sherman, ftom the capture of Fort Donelson to Sherman's famous march 
through Georgia, ending in the capture of Richmond, the surrender of the Rebel armies, and the final 
overthiow of the most gigantic Rebellion recorded in History. 

Mr. Headlet's popularity as a historian, his extensive acquaintance with Government Officials, and 
access to official documents, place the authenticity of the work beyond a doubt, and we otlei it to tka 
public as a standard and reliable addition to American literature. 

Foa Gekman Edition, see Geesian Circular. 



coisr3Dia?ioi«TS 



The work will be printed from new and beautiful type, on good paper ; and will contnin over six 
hundred octavo pages. It will be embellished with eighteen first-olaes Steel enprravc d Poi-fraits of promi- 
nent Generals, and twelve full page Battle-scenes and Maps. It will be comprised in one Octavo Volume, 
and furnished to subscribers- 
Ill Extra Englisi Cloth, $3.50. 

In Fine Leather (Library Style) $4,50. 

Ie Extra Half Calf (Antique) $5,5(J. 

I»ATr.A.Bi:.E OIsT DEIjIVERY. 
This Work is sold only by subscription, and cannot be obtained except through cm- authorised Travel- 
ing Agents. Subscribers will not be obliged to take the work unless it corresponds with the description ia 
every particular, 






